Undisclosed Desires
by LoVe JH writer15
Summary: Logan is the new Criminology teacher at Hearst and his first class includes the one and only Veronica Mars. She has her own troubled past that added to his equals an interesting relationship. But, first thing's first there's a seduction.
1. Chapter 1

**I am still working on Of Murders and School Dances, but this idea was plaguing me and I want to do it. I think it will be a bit lustier  
We are in Veronica's first year of college. She has gone through a rape and the chilling murder of her best friend, Lilly. She was shunned by her friends and boyfriend, Duncan, forcing her to grow up and toughen up. In the end, she proved Lilly was killed by Richard Casablancas, the father of the boy who raped her. Like father like son, she'd thought.  
Logan is a 23 year old teacher at Hearst. His father abused him most of his life, but ended up in jail after Logan pressed charges. He moved to California for a better life with his best friend Dick Harrison.  
This story is AU and some of the characters we love will make appearances. I might have tweaked some characters here and there with personality, ages, and last names…The rest will be explained along the way. Hope you guys like this one.**

One

"Shit, shit, shit!" Veronica cursed as she pulled into the first available parking space.  
She was officially late for her first class at Hearst University. She knew how important first impressions were and now the teacher she'd planned to like best would hate her for being late. Introduction to Criminology had caught her eye the second she was picking her classes for freshman year at college. Veronica wasn't 100% sure what she imagined herself doing in ten years, but an FBI agent or journalist would be exciting. She already had experience with mysteries and crimes from the PI work she did through high school, working at her father's office.  
Veronica ran down the hallway, crashing into another student, who was in front of Room 170, her Criminology classroom.  
"Whoa, where's the fire?" the guy joked.  
Veronica was going to ignore and him and push past, but when she raised her gaze to find the classroom door, she gasped. The man (because boy was not the right word) in front of her had beautiful hazel eyes that changed from green to brown, depending on the light hitting him. He had a smirking mouth that was sculpted so perfectly Veronica immediately yearned to trace them with her tongue. His brown hair was spiked up at the top and messily ruffled near the back. He was taller than her, which was an easy feat, and his body was lean, but clearly toned and muscled from some vigorous sport. In short, a hottie.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, seeing the little blonde frozen in front of him.  
"Uh, um. I'm late." She responded, feeling stupid right after.  
"This is your class?"  
"Yeah. Yours?"  
He grinned mysteriously.  
"Definitely my class."  
"I'm Veronica." She gathered her wits and held out a hand, adding a flirty smile.  
"Logan." He took her small hand in his larger one.  
She felt a warm shock shoot down her body from his touch and she quickly took her hand back. He must have felt the same electricity because he looked at his hand in confusion.  
"So… I hope the teacher isn't a hardass. I was late when I crashed into you. Now, I'm beyond tardy."  
"He's not a hardass."  
"Oh? Do you know him?"  
Logan coughed to hide his laugh.  
"You could say that."  
"These girls were saying he's some sort of celebrity or something."  
"Really?" he asked, opening the door for her.  
"And that he was majorly hot."  
"Hmm." He said as they walked down the row of seats.  
Veronica was taking one in the second row when she saw Logan go past the second and first rows to the front of the classroom.  
"Where are you going?" she asked and he gave her a grin before putting his briefcase on the teacher's desk and facing the whole class.  
"Welcome to Intro to Criminology. I am your professor Logan Echolls. Sorry for the late appearance. I got caught up with something." He gave Veronica a subtle glance.  
She was busy gaping and blushing, burying her body in her chair.  
_I was flirting with my teacher? God, how embarrassing. And why is my stupid heart beating so fast?  
_-  
Class was over soon enough and Veronica rushed to gather her books and run from the classroom when someone cleared her throat behind her.  
"Veronica, can I see you for a moment?"  
She didn't respond, just waited until the classroom was empty.  
"I'm sorry for earlier. If I had known who you were I absolutely would _not _have done that."  
"What? Talked to me?"  
"Flirted with you." She looked at the floor, blushing again.  
He grinned.  
"That was flirting? My, how the times have changed."  
"How old are you?" she asked bluntly and he chuckled.  
"Twenty-three."  
"Oh… that's young."  
"Yes, it is. I took advanced classes all through high school so by the time I was twenty two I had a Master's Degree. I knew some people at Hearst who gave me this position as a favor and an opportunity to prove my teaching abilities."  
"You're a good teacher." She murmured.  
_Not that I remember much of this lesson since I alternated between avoiding your gaze and staring at your chest.  
_"Thank you. I hope I'm not making you late for another class."  
"Oh no, no. Yours is my only class of the day."  
"Only one class? That's lucky. First year at Hearst?"  
"Yeah."  
"We have that in common." He smiled.  
"I'll see you tomorrow… sir?" she said almost questioningly.  
He laughed.  
"In class, I wouldn't mind Mr. Echolls. But, it's just you and me so Logan is fine."  
"Bye, Logan." She turned to leave and he called one last thing.  
"Please be on time tomorrow, Veronica!"  
She hurried the pace out of the classroom.  
-"You're carrying on a torrid affair with a teacher? It's official I will live vicariously through you from now until the end of days" Mac said as they lay on the floor of their shared dorm room.  
"It's not a torrid affair. We haven't even hugged. I touched his hand before I went into the classroom. Before I found out he was my teacher."  
"You said that one touch sent sparks through you. That means something." She nodded firmly.  
"Can we please not talk about Logan? How's Wallace?"  
"He's trying out for the basketball team. No surprise there. He said afterwards he was going to help his roommate unpack. His name is Piz, I think."  
"Piz? What a horrible name."  
"I think his given name Stosh Piznarski."  
Veronica whistled.  
"His parents must hateeeee him."  
Mac laughed in agreement.  
"So tell me more about Logan."  
"Mac! I'm trying to think of him as Mr. Echolls, my grown-up, off limits teacher."  
"Mr. Echolls, my oh my." She repeated in a husky voice that made Veronica laugh out loud.  
"Stop it! He's off limits."  
"How old is he?"  
"Twenty three."  
"How old are you?"  
"Eighteen. Where are you going with this?"  
"You're of legal age. And so is he. If you weren't teacher/student the age difference wouldn't be a problem. You obviously like him, so go for it."  
"What if he's married or has a girlfriend?"  
"Was he wearing a ring?"  
"No, but a girlfriend is still possible."  
"Or not. It doesn't matter right now. Promise me you'll give this a shot, Veronica Mars. Talking about this is the happiest I've seen you in months."  
"The past months haven't been a picnic to go through, Mac."  
"I know and that's why this is good. Picture this. You seduce this hot teacher man into a night of pure passion. If you like it you do it again. And again and again. No strings attached just sex. It's a physical attraction you feel. When was the last time you had that? And please God don't say Duncan, because that was not physical. It was all lovey dovey crap."  
"Gee thanks for putting my three year relationship into such kind words."  
"Oh, please Duncan was a bastard disguised as a nice guy. He knocked up Meg Manning and then ran away from Neptune."  
Veronica sighed.  
"You're right. I haven't felt a physical attraction to anyone. Cassidy took that from me."  
Mac knelt in front of her best friend.  
"No, he didn't. He tried to ruin you, to hurt you but he couldn't mar you, Veronica. You were too strong for him. I know what he did to you. He stole your virginity, but he didn't steal your essence, your spirit. No one can do that but you. He's rotting in jail, isn't he?"  
Veronica nodded silently, listening to her friend's speech.  
"And you are on your way to the hottest love affair of the century? Am I right?"  
"Yeah, you are." She said softly and added a flirty grin. "Logan Echolls won't know what hit him."  
"Atta girl!" Mac shouted, knocking over the root beer she'd been drinking.  
"Mac! It's all over my Criminology textbook!"  
"Well, then I did you a favor. That's your in."  
Veronica glared at her friend's enthusiasm.

Logan arrived home at 8 o clock, cracking his back from the strain of carrying his heavy briefcase and maintaining perfect posture in front of his four classes. He set his briefcase down on the coffee table and flopped back onto his living room couch. Logan came from a family of rich actors so he had enough money to fill an ocean, but he chose to live modestly in a cozy studio apartment a few blocks from Hearst. He had a living room, kitchen, expansive bathroom, and two bedrooms. He left one set with comforter and pillow for whenever Dick stayed over.  
Richard "Dick" Harrison was Logan's only remainder of the hell of his childhood. New York had been Logan's birthplace, a bustling city of fame and fortune, with celebrities at every corner. Lynn and Aaron Echolls were worldwide successes. Aaron with his cheesy action flicks and lame romances, Lynn with various soap operas and charities. The magazine covers showed the three Echolls as a holy trinity of families, displaying smiles and false embraces. Behind closed doors, Lynn choked down bottles of vodka as her husband mercilessly abused her son.  
For eleven years Logan was subjected to whippings by studded belts, cigarettes put out on his skin, and simple punches to the face and ribs. The second he turned 18 he escaped. Left New York behind to move to the West Coast and pursue a teaching career. But… not before pressing charges against his father for child abuse. It wasn't as difficult as he's expected. He'd photographed the beatings before and found two doctors who'd treated him in separate emergency rooms when his father had been extremely brutal. Even his mother pulled herself together to testify against her husband.  
The media had thrown a parade with all the gossip and drama they reported. Aaron's myriad of affairs had come out, including one with Logan's girlfriend of the time, Madison Sinclair. It had been an awful time with paparazzi camped outside the Echolls house and the courts.  
After Aaron was convicted of abuse and statutory rape (the Sinclairs sued) Logan told his mother he had to start a new life and boarded the first plane to Neptune, California. Dick followed loyally, knowing his best friend needed him but wanted space from the place of only bad memories.  
Logan cracked open a beer and turned the TV to the news. He wasn't following the news story, as his thoughts were completely taken over by one Veronica Mars.  
_She's so beautiful. That flowing, golden hair. Those big, blue eyes. The creamy skin and petite build. Maybe it's for the best that she's my student and we can't pursue a relationship. I'm a mess, anyway. A child of abuse, drugs, and alcohol. I hate my father, but even my mother wasn't the best influence. The longest relationship in my life was with Madison and it turned out she was with me for access to my father. Then there was Kendall… but that's a chapter of my life I'd like to forget. Veronica is pure, maybe not virginal, but there's a purity I don't want to ruin there. God, but she's so beautiful._  
He was startled out of his thoughts by the ringing of his cell phone.  
"Yeah?"  
"Dude!" It was Dick.  
"It's 8:30 on a school night. You know I teach classes early tomorrow. Think about whatever you're going to ask me. If it's a party and getting waster, my answer will be no."  
"You're no fun anymore." He whined.  
"I love you too, buddy."  
"Actually, I was asking if I could crash at your place tomorrow night. I'm flying in from Texas."  
"I thought you had a show there."  
Dick was a male model, since many people were interested in the buff, blonde look and he was usually dressed in underwear or bathing suits for his runway shoots. Dick never complained though because he was making money off his looks and meeting supermodels from exotic countries.  
"Yeah, ended early. One of the models got sick and ended up at the hospital. Bulimia, I think."  
"Shocker."  
"Yeah, so I'll be there tomorrow. And then you better get your ass in gear for a party! I won't allow you to punk out. We are men in our sexual prime! We can't let things go to waste."  
"I'm sure our penises won't drop dead if we wait a little for someone worthwhile."  
"Who are you? Someone worthwhile isn't always someone easy."  
Logan sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with his best friend over women. Logan wanted a serious relationship because he didn't like to waste his time with vapid girls who wanted money or fame from being with him. Dick just wanted a girl who put out on the first date.  
"Goodbye, Dick."  
"I see how it is. I know when I'm not wanted."  
"Good." He hung up and finished his beer before heading to his bed.  
He couldn't help the dreams he had of Veronica Mars, in compromising positions as well as ones where they were simply kissing and she was in his arms.

**Do you guys like this enough for me to continue with it? It would be on the side to Of Murders and School Dances, which is more my priority at the moment.****  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wrote this chap yesterday so I'm adding it today. I'll have the next chapter of Of Murders and School Dances up later, I think. Thank you guys for the quick reviews on this one.  
And a little fix! Veronica is 19 not 18. Her birthday is in the summer so she just turned 19 before entering college. So Logan is 4 years older than her not 5.**

Two

Veronica woke up at 6:30 in the morning to get ready for her Criminology class at 8:30. She went straight to the shower, shaving cream and razor in hand. She made sure all important areas were smooth and blow dried her hair. When she got back to the room at 7:20, Mac was up rifling through the closet.  
"This skirt is a must." Mac threw a short, fitted denim skirt on Veronica's bed.  
"I'm going for provocative not _prostitute_"  
"That's why the top will be more modest." Mac pulled out a blouse that accentuated Veronica's delicate curves, exposing her collarbone but covering cleavage.  
"Perfect. I will look stylish and rocker chic." She smiled fondly at the design of the blouse.  
Veronica had bought that shirt at a vintage shop Mac had found. She got it the minute she saw _The Rolling Stones_ written in bold print with their trademark "mouth with the tongue sticking out" logo.  
"Gotta love the Stones." Mac commented and both girls nodded seriously.  
Veronica added the pair of heeled black boots that she knew made her legs look long and toned. She put on her _Promises_ body spray and her best lotion. She finished the outfit with a simple silver bracelet and lip gloss.  
"How do I look?" Veronica spun for her friend.  
Mac clapped excitedly.  
"If this doesn't seduce him, nothing will. Wait, I'm wrong! Naked you would be more efficient."  
Veronica rolled her eyes.  
"For the last time, I will not gift wrap myself naked and lay on his desk. Cindy Mackenzie, have you been watching porn?"  
Mac flushed at the mention and shook her head.  
"I watched this movie that was pretty cool. I watch it too much now. The guy in it is insanely attractive. I can't help myself." She held up the DVD case.  
"_A Very Naughty Christmas_?" Veronica read "Starring Megan Fox and Dick Harrison. The guy's name is Dick?" she wrinkled her nose in disgust.  
"Don't judge me!" Mac clutches the DVD case to her chest and Veronica raises and eyebrow.  
"You have a celebrity crush on Dick Harrison, huh? Interesting. I read in some magazine he's an underwear model. I bet you want him to model without the underwear."  
"You should be going." Mac pushed her to the door. "You want to be there fashionably early so he gets a look at your hotness."  
"Gotcha. But, we're discussing your love for the underwear model when I get back." Veronica clicked her tongue and hugged her friend goodbye.  
-

Veronica walked into Room 170 ten minutes early. She was preparing to flirt outright with Logan, but the figure at the front of the room was neither Logan nor male.  
"Hi! Can I help you?" the tall, blonde girl chirped.  
_I hate perky blondes. They give the rest of us a bad rep.  
_"Uh, this is my class. Where is Lo-Mr. Echolls?"  
"Getting me some coffee. I'm Parker, the teacher's assistant."  
"Are you a student here?"  
"Yep. It's my third year. Dean O'Dell assigned me to work with Logie to show him the ropes at Hearst. I'm one of the best students in all of Hearst's history!" she gushed and Veronica frowned at the amount of perkiness the blonde displayed, as well as her nickname for Logan.  
_Logie? What is he her toddler?  
_"That's… nice. I'll just take my seat." Veronica went to the second row, annoyed at missing her first chance at seducing Logan.  
"Parker, I got you skim milk with the hazelnut flavor added and-Veronica." Logan had come in with two hot coffee cups.  
He placed the drinks on the desk and turned to fully appreciate the little blonde's outfit.  
_Is she trying to kill me?_ He thought, his pants tightening as his gaze traveled from her boots to her lean, smooth legs.  
Veronica was smiling, pleased at his obvious stare when Parker, upset at losing Logan's focus, suddenly jumped into his arms.  
"I'm so excited to be your TA, Logie!" she squealed pressing herself against him.  
Veronica resisted the urge to gag. Parker glared at her over Logan's shoulder, mouthing "He's mine"  
_No freaking way. 'He's mine'? Are we in seventh grade again? I liked Marvin Knight in seventh grade and this other girl pushed me down on the playground, threatening to kill me if I went near him. She said he belonged to her. Lilly had seen it all and promptly ran over to push the girl flat on her face. No one was allowed to hurt Lilly Kane's best friend. Lilly… The girl who was brutally taken from me. Murdered my sophomore year of high school. It had been Richard Casablancas, the father of my then boyfriend Duncan's best friend. Mr. Casablancas had carried out an affair with Lilly, taping every sexual encounter. Lilly found out and tried to take the tapes. He hit her in the head with an ashtray….  
She died instantly. The Casablancas men were monsters. It was only a month after Lilly's murder that Cassidy drugged and raped me at a party. He knew I had been shunned from the golden gated of 09'erdom by Duncan after Lilly's death. Cassidy preyed on me innocence and ignorance at attending that party. The day he went to jail I cried myself to sleep. Yes, he was behind bars, but he got what he wanted. To steal my virginity. Some nights, I still wake up gasping for breath after graphic nightmares of my rape and Lilly's murder.  
_"Ms. Mars? Veronica? Veronica!" a voice called her back to the present.  
She shook the dark memories away and focused on Logan's warm, hazel eyes as he clasped her hand in his.  
"Sorry. I'm prone to daydream." She put a bright smile on her face, but Logan wasn't completely convinced.  
"Logie! The rest of the class is coming in. You should start introducing me!" Parker pulled Logan to the front of the classroom.  
Logan began class, shooting Veronica a final look of concern.  
"Good morning, class. Since we're only on the second day of the grueling slave work I have planned for you, we're going to play a little game. A mystery you all have to solve." Logan paused as excited murmurs spread through the class.  
"Murder on the Riverboat Queen. My teacher's assistant here, Parker Doyle, will be handing envelopes to all of you. If she gives you an envelope you are a lucky passenger and witness on the riverboat. The envelopes contain information on the murder, but the murderer's envelope has a very convincing cover story. Those without an envelope are Pinkertons, brought aboard to solve the case. You can question anyone with an envelope."  
Parker, finished passing out the envelopes, jumped up in excitement.  
"I currently hold the record of a mere 16 minutes to solve the case. Beat it, I dare ya!" she said, giving Veronica a pointed look.  
_A challenge, you say? Allrighty then._

Several minutes pass. People are talking animatedly about the case, except for Veronica. She sits casually, left foot tapping a rhythm, reading a magazine on British rock bands. Parker walks over.  
"Mr. Echolls expects _everyone_ to participate. Just because you feel above others doesn't mean you are. Are you sure you're even in the right class? I'm sure there's still a chance of you enrolling in Elementary Education. They read magazines and cut them up to make fun collages!" Parker said, condescendingly, a large smirk on her face.  
"You're so funny, _Parkie_!" Veronica quipped. "I know who the murderer is." She said and looked back down on the article she was reading about The Who.  
"Logan!" Parker almost screeched. "This_ student_ here says she's figured out the murderer, but she hasn't once moved from her seat."  
Logan looked up from his papers with interest and approached the two blondes.  
"Is this true, Veronica? You're sure you know who you'll be sending to prison for the rest of his natural born days?"  
Veronica looks at Parker and smiles.  
"Rutherford Styles."  
"Congratulations, Veronica." He then addressed the class. "We have a winner, people. And a new record of six minutes." Logan clapped with the rest of the class.  
Parker crossed her arms.  
"How?" she demanded.  
"Murder on the Riverboat Queen was a murder mystery in a box game so I looked online and found message boards set up by fans of the game. I had to ignore the spoiler tags, which is kind of douche-baggy but…"  
"The game is set in the 1890's you _cannot _use the Internet." Parker huffed.  
"Was that a rule?" Veronica asked Logan innocently.  
He smiled in amusement.  
"No, it was not."  
"Even with all that _cheating_ there are two possible killers. You took a 50/50 guess." Parker said with a mocking smile.  
"Sorry, no. Rutherford had to be the one because Professor Echolls asked who I would be sending to prison for the rest of _his _natural born days. The other suspect was female."  
Logan playfully smacked his face.  
"My mistake."  
"I do have one question though…" Veronica made sure to look Parker dead on "What did you for the extra ten minutes?"  
The class erupted into laughter as Parker glared and stomped out of the room, muttering something about the ladies room. Veronica smirked triumphantly as she left, suddenly noticing that Logan was still standing in front of her with an impressed smile.  
"Keep up the good work, Ms. Mars." He said, turning to walk away.  
"What's my prize?" she asked in a low voice that only he heard.  
He cleared his throat to stop the lust that shot through him at her breathy tone.  
"Stay after class for a few minutes." He said, against his better judgment.  
-

After class ended and in a manner similar to the day before, the class emptied out. Even Parker left, still embarrassed at Veronica's victory.  
"Veronica, about your prize…"  
"A pony?" her blue eyes lit up and he laughed.  
"Sorry, there was no place to put the one I had in mind. I didn't actually have a prize in mind."  
"Oh, that's okay. No rest for the weary. We work without reward."  
"I'm sure it was rewarding seeing Parker stomp off."  
Veronica laughed out loud.  
"That was great."  
"She's a nice girl, even if she seems… high maintenance."  
"That's because he _is_ high maintenance. And no worries. Good luck with that relationship though."  
"Parker isn't my girlfriend."  
Veronica made a disinterested "Oh" but inside she was jumping for joy.  
"Do you have another class now?"  
"No, same as yesterday. You're my one and only." She blushed at the way the words had come out.  
"I'm glad." He smiled and seemed to lean closer.  
Veronica was close enough that she could smell the musky cologne he wore and the clean smell of soap and Listerine. Her eyes darted to his lips, the perfect symmetry she longed to feel, and decided she had to try. She leaned upwards so she was directly in line with his face and pushed her lips onto his. He seemed surprised, but seconds later he moaned into her mouth and pulled her tightly against his body. She was pressed against his every plane, his muscled chest touching her softer one.  
"No!" Logan pushed her away and wiped her lip gloss from his mouth. "We can't do this, Veronica. I'm your teacher. Your elder."  
She snorted.  
"You're only 4 years older. Not exactly elder material. Elder is my dad or my grandfather."  
"Fine, but I'm still your teacher. This isn't allowed."  
"Says who?"  
"Every rule book in the education system. It's illegal to be with students."  
"If it's in high school or something. I'm a legal adult and so are you. Admit that if I didn't go to Hearst and we met on the street you'd let this go on."  
"What good is thinking that if you do go to Hearst?" he didn't deny it and Veronica internally cursed.  
_He's a good guy at heart. Damn._  
"Logan… I want you." She stepped closer to her and he stepped back.  
"You can't have me. From now on, we are just teacher and student. It doesn't matter how skimpy your outfit gets, Veronica. Nothing can happen."  
She felt tears in her eyes so she hurried from the room. She was no whore and she knew that no matter how amazing the physical connection with Logan was, she could never sleep with him unless she felt something deeper. It had only been 2 days she'd known him but something about him pulled her in. She wanted more than no strings attached. She wanted to be with Logan, more than with any other person. The kiss they'd shared had been more passionate than sex with Duncan.  
Veronica went back to her dorm room, hoping Mac would be there but knowing she had a Civil Relations class until 3:00. She was prepared to cry into her pillow, like a six year old, when she saw a familiar face sitting near her dorm room.  
"Wallace!" she called and ran to her other best friend.  
"Hey, Supafly, how have you-Whoa" he exclaimed as she threw himself into her arms. "What's wrong, V?"  
She let the tears fall as Wallace enveloped her in a hug. She let him into her room and proceeded to tell her about the 2 day roller coaster ride with Logan Echolls.  
"Damn, you and a teacher? Doesn't it remind you of junior year with Carrie Bishop and Mr. Rooks?"  
Veronica frowned.  
"Ew, don't compare me to her."  
"It's not the same, I was just saying."  
"I wanted some comfort here, Wallace. Redeem yourself."  
"Fine. It's Friday. We still have a free weekend and it's college. I'm sure there will be some party or club we can visit."  
"Well, Wallace Fennel consider yourself redeemed. We shall party and I will stop crying over my teacher."  
The two friends laughed and when Mac came back they filled her in on the plan. Wallace would invite his roommate and the four would visit a new club on the outskirts of Neptune called _Arabian Nights_.  
"It sounds creepy." Mac said.  
"But also exciting." Veronica put in. "We can dress like gypsies."  
"Yeah, because I want to look like women who were killed and burned alive for supposed witchcraft and adultery for centuries."  
Veronica pushed her off the bed and told her to suck it up.  
-

"Arabian Nights?" Logan said the name of the club and grimaced. "Is it a strip club, Dick?"  
"No, dude! It's a new dance place on the outskirts of Neptune. All the cool kids are going there."  
"We're not cool kids, we're adults."  
"Screw that I'm still a cool kid. I make a million dollars per underwear shoot and I have Jessica Alba on my speed dial. Plus, I'm good looking. That's enough."  
Logan rolled his eyes.  
"Today wasn't a great day. I want to stay home and watch some T.V."  
"I am not allowing you to stay home and cry into your sofa cushions or something. We're going clubbing and that's final. Now go pick tight jeans and a shirt with a designer logo on it. It's what the chicks like."  
Logan decided arguing would waste too much breath. Besides, it was Friday night. Logan was still young, not playing Bingo and Sudoku with the other Hearst teachers. It wouldn't hurt to visit a club, do some harmless dancing and drinking with his friend. Maybe pick up a hot girl.  
_No one is better than Veronica_  
Logan mentally slapped himself.  
_Nothing can happen with Veronica. Stop thinking about her_!  
Little did he know that night ignoring Veronica Mars would be impossible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your consistent reviews on both my stories. I love you guys.  
A/N: Mac might seem too happy and OOC, but keep in mind she didn't date Cassidy so he never hurt her. She dealt with being switched at birth with a rich girl and she was unpopular through high school, but this hidden Mac was brought out by surviving school with Veronica Mars.**

Three  
Veronica admired her outfit from every angle in front of the mirror and Mac.  
"For the last time, Veronica Marie Mars, you look amazing." Mac said, patting the bottom of her dress.  
She had chosen a black dress that went to her knees, but hugged her curves and at the top made her ample cleavage more prominent. Veronica smiled and nodded.  
"Thank you, BFF."  
"Wallace will be jealous."  
"Mac, you're BFF 1 and he's BFF 2. We have a system, remember?"  
"Of course. That was all decided in junior year on the 3rd Flick Friday. We were watching Jaws, I remember."  
"Your memory serves you. Sometimes I forget we've only been friends three years. High school seemed eternal." She sighed and Mac rushed to take the lost expression from her face.  
"And yet here we are. Survivors the two of us. _I'm a survivor I'm not gon give up, I'm not gon stop I'm gon work harder!"_Mac sang.  
"Save the off-key singing of girl power songs for when we're drunk."  
Mac nodded in excitement and a knock at the door signaled the boys' arrival.  
"Hey, V, Mac. Looking amazing." Wallace said, giving his best friends a kiss on the cheek. "This is Piz, my roommate."  
Piz couldn't respond with any courteous greetings. He was busy drooling over Veronica. The dress Veronica had chosen was one she'd pushed to the back of her closet for years. It was a satin halter dress of a pure red color. It went to mid thigh and it clung to every movement Veronica made. She'd donned black stilettos that were strappy and tied up to her calf, giving her legs and elongated, curvy look. Mac had arranged her hair into mussed waves and left it down. Then, she added red lipstick and mascara that created a smoky look. Lilly Kane would have been proud of her best friend.  
Veronica's Homecoming dress had been beautiful, but this dress was the red satin of all red satin. Definitely more risqué then her junior dress. Which was why Wallace literally closed Piz's mouth for him.  
'These are my best friends. Mac and Veronica."  
"Veronica." Piz repeated.  
The blonde laughed and held out her hand. Piz stared at it and then shook it quickly. He wiped his hands on his pants and blushed.  
"Why don't you go for him? He obviously wants you." Mac whispered on the walk to Mac's car, which was the designated car for the occasion.  
"He's not my type."  
"Uh, he reminds me of Duncan, in his early non-bastard years."  
"And so I repeat. _Not my type_"  
"Ah, you only want the bad boys now."  
"Logan isn't a bad boy." Veronica defended.  
"I wasn't thinking about Logan, but obviously you were."  
Veronica sighed.  
"Yeah, I was. I think it's more than physical attraction. I know I've known him only 2 days, but something about him calls to me…. Do you think I'm crazy?"  
"No, I think you're smitten or infatuated."  
"Not in love?"  
"It's too soon for love. But, you might get there. And, honey, I don't want to see you get hurt if he doesn't feel the same way."  
Veronica looked at the ground.  
"I'm already hurt and all he did was push me away after a kiss."  
"So end it there. Do you want more of your feelings to get invested into this guy and then make the experience more painful? What was it like when Duncan broke up with you by turning the school against you?"  
"Heartbreaking. I missed Lilly and I wasn't sure what was happening and I wasn't sure why my boyfriend of two years was doing that to me. I'd told him I loved him."  
"And he used that to hurt you. Men are pigs. Most of them." Mac amended, because they both knew how non-pig like Wallace Fennell was.  
"After my dad found Lilly's true murderer and the press led a whole media circus, things changed. It was better. People didn't hate me anymore, not outwardly. Duncan asked me out again and I said yes."  
"Why did you say yes? I didn't see what you saw in him, to be honest." Mac humphed at the mention of Veronica's ex.  
"I saw the past. The innocence of middle school and freshman year when Duncan and I were together and that was taken for granted. Lilly was there and she was happy, alive and joking about her latest boy toy. Duncan was my last connection to the old Veronica. New Veronica just missed those times. It didn't last the whole school year anyway. About three months in, Duncan ran away and left me confused again, plus Meg Manning a single mother."  
"Fucker." Mac cursed and Veronica laughed.  
Mac was a tough cookie. She was eternally loyal and anyone who hurt her friends would get a piece of her mind. It was a strong parallel to Lilly, which subconsciously had drawn Veronica in to being friends with the girl.  
"Are you getting in the car, women?" Wallace asked and they realized they'd been standing against the car talking.  
"Don't question me, Wallace." Mac snapped and Wallace held up his hands.  
"I'm sorry please don't unleash the PMSing power on me."  
-

"Lead me to the bar, Mac." Veronica ordered when they entered the club, each holding one of Veronica's perfectly crafted fake ID's, of course.  
Mac nodded and led her friend to the bar, while Wallace mingled with the crowd and Piz stood there feeling out of place. He wanted to follow Veronica and try to find out if she was single or looking for someone. However, going with the girls would be awkward so he followed Wallace into the crowd.  
-

"Whoo!" Veronica pumped a fist in the air as she drank her fourth shot of tequila.  
The bartender had set up a row for Veronica, Mac, and some other people who had wanted a drink-off. Veronica was winning. She downed her shots quickly and without a swig face.  
"Ok, Veronica, let's move away from the bar. I'm feeling sick." Mac looked slightly green.  
Her alcohol tolerance was not as high as Veronica's. She would puke if she was pushed too far.  
"Fine, I want to dance anyway. Dancing, yeah!" The blonde cheered, acting on the high buzz from the shots.  
"Wait!" Mac called as her petite friend slipped through the crowds shaking her hips and attracting the attention of various guys, single and not single.  
Some of the men's girlfriends were getting angry. Mac pushed through the crowd, following Veronica. She couldn't let her get lost in the crowd. Mac had come to the club for some dancing, but mostly to cheer up Veronica. It was her duty as a friend and fellow woman to make sure some guy didn't whisk the slightly drunk Veronica away.  
-

Logan and Dick walked into the club fifteen minutes after Veronica stumbled away from Mac onto the dance floor.  
"Not bad, Dick." Logan admitted, admiring the décor of the place and the cool music they were playing.  
There were silky curtains and beads on the walls, plus a sweet smell of herbs and plant all representing Arabia and Morocco. The bartender and the waitresses were dressed like the area. The women wore tight, slinky tops that uncovered their belly buttons along with a Bohemian type mini skirt and golden pumps.  
"Dude, it's like a classy Hooters!" Dick exclaimed, going after one of the waitresses.  
Logan shook his head and looked through the throngs of people to the bar. He made his way over and ordered a simple beer. He didn't want to get drunk since he was sure Dick would and Logan would be responsible for driving them home afterwards. He was sipping his beer when a woman slipped into the seat next to him and put a hand on his upper thigh.  
"Hey there baby." She whispered, leaning close to him and pushing her breasts against him.  
The woman was a few years older than him with long black hair and dark eyes. She had a revealing dress on, but Logan didn't feel attracted. Mostly, because she was so drunk she was struggling to sit up. When she spoke to him he almost gagged at the strong liquor in her breath. It was enough to clean a window pane.  
"I've gotta go." He finished the beer and moved to the dance floor.  
The DJ announced a flashback to the 90's and played _What is Love_ by Haddaway. People cheered as they danced to the old dance anthem. Logan was going to ask one of the nice, sober looking girls standing near the tables if they wanted to dance when his gaze fell on a stunning blonde in a red dress dancing enthusiastically and freely to the song.  
He walked closer into the sea of people to reach the blonde that was at the center, with a group of men and another girl her age dancing nearby.  
_Veronica? There's no place to escape you, huh? I should have figured_  
Logan watched, entranced, as Veronica slim hips shook to the rhythm and her blonde waves flew around her face. The red dress was tight, making Logan shiver at the form of her curves. He'd felt some of them as they kissed, but it was more obvious now. As the song ended, one of the men around her stepped closer, trying to grab her arm. She stepped to the side and shook her head.  
"You can look, but not touch boys. It's the established rule." She said but the man ignored her and stepped closer, grabbing her waist roughly from the way she cried out.  
"Get off me!" she tried to push him, but he was too strong for her.  
Logan saw the other girl, most likely a friend of hers, try to pull the guy off her, but he held on pressing himself against Veronica. He must have been drunk and men who were drunk were out of control and dangerous. Logan's worst beatings were when his father was drunk and ready to take out his emotions on the boy in front of him without a clear purpose or end in mind.  
"She said get off!" Logan shouted, punching the guy in the face and pushing him into the crowd, who dispersed and let him fall to the floor.  
Some people stared but most continued dancing to the new song, La Bouche's _Be My Lover_.  
The guy, inebriated, stood and cursed at Logan, but he didn't attempt a fight.  
_Yeah, he knows I'd kick his ass_.  
The crowd once again united in the dance floor, leaving Veronica and Logan staring at each other, with Mac standing near Veronica in confusion, until she realized this was Logan Echolls.  
_Wow, he is hot. Veronica has her work cut out for her if she wants to ignore him._  
"What are _you_ doing here?" Veronica asked rudely, the alcohol made her anger take over the sadness Logan had caused.  
"My friend invited me to this club opening. I didn't know you'd be here… It's not for anyone under 21."  
Veronica rolled her eyes.  
"That's right! You're my elder and you're allowed but I'm a stupid little girl, old enough to vote but not drink. Are you going to call my parents now? Talk to the principal? Take me to your office?" she gave a bitter laugh and turned to disappear once again into the crowd when Logan took her arm.  
"Why don't I take you to your dorm? You seem like you've had enough to drink."  
"_I _can take her home, thank you very much." Mac said, pushing between the two so Logan had to drop her arm.  
"Who are you?"  
"Veronica's best friend. Someone much more trustworthy than _you_" she spat.  
_Of course. Girls stick together, don't they? Her best friend must know all the gritty details. Thus, she hates me, the guy who caused her friend pain._  
"I just wanted to take her home, make sure she's safe."  
"That's not your responsibility." Mac crossed her arms.  
Before he could respond Dick came crashing into the little space Logan, Mac, and Veronica were occupying.  
"I'm good and drunk now!" he called and Mac's mouth dropped.  
_Dick Harrison? This cannot be possible. The man of my lusty daydreams is in front of me!_  
"Hey, Mac, it's that underwear model guy you like." Veronica said, drunk enough to forget some things had to be kept secret.  
Mac blushed tomato red and even in the dimness of the club, Dick saw it.  
"Is that right? Hello, little lady. I am Dick. If you ever want some dick, call Dick." He grinned and Logan grimaced.  
"Maybe I should drive you home now. How much did you drink?"  
"Half a bottle of vodka."  
"What?"  
"The waitress kept filling my glass. She didn't even charge me." Dick winked and turned back to Mac.  
"Go have fun, Mackie!" Veronica pushed her friend towards the blonde and slipped through the crowd.  
"No. Veronica!" Mac scanned the crowed but couldn't see her anymore.  
She was also distracted since Dick had pulled her into his arms and was dancing slowly even though the rhythm of _Better Off Alone_ was not that slow.  
"I've got her." Logan promise and pushed through the people to find Veronica.  
"Your name is Ac? That's so short." Dick said, slightly slurring words.  
"Mac. Not Ac. And it's short for Mackenzie, my last name."  
"Dick is short for Richard."  
"No it isn't."  
"Yeah, but it's my nickname" he shrugged and spun her faster.  
"Hey! Slow down." She protested but Dick was laughing like a three year old and moving out of time to the music, pulling Mac with him.  
_Be careful what you wish for, Mac, here's the underwear model you wanted and he's drunk and acting like a child._

Logan found her outside the club, sitting on a wooden bench and crying into her hands.  
"Veronica?" he said tentatively and she lifted her head, wiping tears and blurred mascara away.  
"Go away, Logan. I can pretend I never saw you here and come Monday I can pretend you're just my Criminology teacher. But, you have to leave me alone now."  
"I can't do that. You aren't completely sober and someone could hurt you if they see you vulnerable."  
"Someone like you?" she stared up at him, glaring.  
"I didn't want to hurt you." He sat next to her. "I wanted to kiss you and do so many other things with you, believe me, but I had to think of all the hard work I put in to become a teacher. And the consequences you'd receive for being with your teacher."  
"Screw that, I wanted to be with you and you rejected me!" she crossed her arms and looked away from him.  
It was so cute the way she pouted and avoided his gaze that he chuckled. She turned back and glowered.  
"Laughing at my expense? Really?" she stood, stumbled a little, and prepared to walk back to the campus and dorms when Logan touched her shoulder.  
"Your friend is still inside, probably busy with my idiotic friend. Let me give you a ride home."  
"Mac and Wallace will be worried."  
"Wallace?"  
"My other friend. We came here as a group. He, Mac, Piz, and I."  
"Piz?" Logan's brow furrowed.  
"Wallace's roommate. I just remembered I don't want to talk to you. I want to go home. To my dorm." She marched away and Logan sighed at her stubbornness.  
"Veronica, I can't let you walk home by yourself at this time of night."  
"It isn't that late."  
"Late enough for some creep to try to hurt you."  
Veronica stopped walking and used all the sense she had left, without the effect of the tequila.  
_Walking home could be dangerous. My dad would kill me if I knew I'd been so stupid. I can't be… raped by some stranger again._  
"I don't trust you."  
"I'll change that." Logan assured her.  
"Fine. Straight to the dorms."  
"I promise." He said.

Ten minutes later Veronica was being half carried to her dorm by Logan. The tequila was really affecting her now. When she was dancing and moving it wasn't so strong, but slowing down made the alcohol take serious effect.  
"Thanks." She said when he put her on her bed in the dorm room.  
He nodded and turned to go.  
"Wait! Logan, don't leave me."  
"Veronica, I told you nothing can happen between us. I am your teacher and-  
"I know that. I mean stay with me until Mac gets back. I feel scared… The news said there might be lightning storms later and I-I don't want to be a-alone."  
Logan knew he should have said no, but the lost expression on her beautiful features got to him.  
"I'll stay until you're asleep.""  
"Okay." She patted the bed next to her.  
He sat and then she stood.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Getting comfortable." She said matter-of-factly.  
She put one hand on his shoulder to take off her stilettos and then slowly unzipped her dress, wiggling out of it. Logan's breath was uneven as he took in her white skin and the matching set of lacy red undergarments. Veronica kicked the dress aside and slipped under her bed covers. Logan stared at the dress on the floor, still picturing Veronica's strip. She hadn't meant for it to turn him on, she was tired and eager to gain comfort, but it didn't matter to Logan. Seeing the forbidden skin of the girl had made his pulse quicken.  
"It's okay, you know." Her voice took him out of his mind.  
"What is?" he turned to see her sitting up.  
"To want me. You have some strong morals in you. You're a strong man overall. But, it's okay to lower the walls once in a while. Sometimes I do it. And I've been through hell and back. Yet, I can admit that I want you." She crawled to him and sat on his lap.  
He breathed in her unique scent and touched the material of her bra. She leaned into his touch.  
"I want you so badly." He gasped and took her mouth into his.  
Then, Logan let go of his worries of any consequences. He didn't think that he was her teacher and she his student. He didn't think that his past would scar her. He didn't look past the emotions he felt for the girl in front of him.  
Veronica felt true bliss in Logan's arms and the passion of their lovemaking completely overwhelmed her. It was one of the best nights of her life.  
-

When Mac came into the dorm at 4:30 in the morning Veronica was tangled under the covers, alone. Mac saw her dress on the floor next to her bra and underwear.  
_Veronica doesn't sleep naked… oh no._  
Mac sat on her bed and waited. She read a book and studied for a test that wasn't for a week. And at 8:00 when Veronica groggily opened her eyes and felt the empty space next to her, Mac ran to her and hugged the sobbing girl in her arms. Veronica pulled the covers around her and buried her face in Mac's shoulder.  
"I thought he wanted me. _All of me." _Veronica whispered, voice hoarse from crying.  
"I know you did, V. He doesn't deserve you."  
"I didn't want just sex, I wanted _him_. Couldn't he see that?" she begged her friend to have all the answers for her.  
"Men are pigs." Was all she said as fresh tears fell down Veronica's face.


	4. Chapter 4

Four

For the remainder of Saturday Mac sat with Veronica on her bed as she cried and told her what had happened with Logan the night before.  
"You were drunk, Veronica. He should have stopped you."  
"No, Mac. I wasn't that drunk. I knew what I was doing and when I woke up alone this morning I knew what had happened."  
"Do you want me to destroy his credit and crash his bank accounts? I can hack into his e-mails and cause problems there too."  
Veronica laughed, wiping her tears.  
"Thanks, but I have to act like an adult about this. Logan may not consider me mature enough for him, but I won't stoop to low levels. I have to forget him. Granted, after having the best sex of my life it won't be easy, but I've been through worst. I've been through Lilly and Duncan and Cassidy."  
Mac nodded.  
"I wish you weren't going through this. I wish we could do what your dad wanted to do and put you in a protective bubble, like a hamster ball."  
"Ah, but no one likes a blonde in a hamster ball." She quipped and Mac laughed, hugging her friend.  
-

Sunday was spent watching comedy and action flicks (absolutely no romance) and eating their weight in pizza and ice cream. Wallace came by but Veronica didn't tell her about sleeping with Logan. She just mentioned that he brought her to the dorm and left. He seemed to believe it and left, saying he has basketball practice.  
"Why didn't you tell him?" Mac asked.  
"I have 2 BFF's for a reason. Some things he wouldn't know how to handle. Like this. It took me some time to let him in about my rape."  
"So there are some things Wallace knows and I don't?"  
"No, I say it to Wallace to lift his spirits, though. You're my all-star confidante, Mackie."  
Mac smiled, but then turned it into a serious expression.  
"I can't say the same about you, Veronica Mars. Last night, in your not-that-drunk-but semi-drunk state you told Dick Harrison I liked him."  
"Dick Harrison? The underwear guy? Oh, yeah he was with Logan. They must be friends."  
"He threw up on the way to his apartment. Logan ran after you and I was left with that huge idiot leaning on me and breathing vodka on my face. He knocked over some drinks on a table nearby and tried to pick a fight with the bartender for absolutely no reason. I told Wallace I was going to check on you and I'd be back to pick them up after. He said it was fine, they could wait I staggered to my car towing Dick and he starts taking off his clothes, asking for a quickie in the car. I slapped him and pushed him into the car, asking for the directions to his place. He slurred the directions, but he knew them. He's living with Logan while he's in town. On the way there he turned green and threw up outside the window as I drove. He got some on the passenger door. It was not fun to clean. I left him on the grass in front of the apartment complex and drove to the club to pick up the boys. All in all I got home around 4"  
"So the girly crush on the underwear model is…"  
"Flushed down the toilet? Yep."  
"Cheers to the single life." Veronica held up her ice cream carton and knocked it with Mac's.  
"Should we become feminists?"  
"Feminists, maybe. Lesbians, no."  
"Why would we become lesbians?" Mac asked.  
"Some women give up on men for good and turn to each other."  
"Ew."  
"Yeah, you're not my type. No offense."  
"None taken. I like my significant other to be taller."  
-

When Logan walked into his first period Criminology class his eyes immediately flickered to the second row. Veronica's seat. But, it was empty. The class filed in and Logan's eyes moistened. He turned, pretending to take out papers from his briefcase, as he wiped his face.  
"Can I help you with anything?" Parker asked, huge grin on her face.  
She too had noticed Veronica's absence and it pleased her that the little bitch wouldn't interfere with her interactions with Logan.  
"Take attendance while I pull up the PowerPoint." He handed her the list and turned to his laptop, that was plugged in to the big projector at the front of the room.  
"Cody Lennon?" Parker called.  
"Present."  
"Gaby Lutz?"  
"Present."  
"Veronica Mars?" Parker sneered, preparing to mark her absent.  
"Here." The voice was quiet but definite.  
Logan turned from the computer, searching for the owner of the voice. Parker noticed this and glared as she continued with the attendance.  
_Was I expecting her to drop my class or run away? Yeah, I guess I was. She's too good a student and too proud a person to do that. I should be happy she moved to the last row. I can't see her from the front of the class and neither of us will be distracted… _  
Yet, Logan was very distracted. Various times during the PowerPoint he showed on the class' first assignment, he would look at the second row, expecting Veronica's cute pout or seductive smile. When he didn't find it he was instantly disappointed. When class ended all he saw was a blur of blonde hair jet from the classroom. The door was right behind her chosen seat.  
-

The next three weeks Logan would experience the same sadness at not having Veronica in front of him. She got in a minute before class started and left the second he dismissed the class. She tried her best to have no contact with him. She turned in papers and homework to Parker and when he graded it, he'd have to give it back the same way. When she raised her hand to participate in class she never looked directly at him, only a space above his head or a wall to the right or left of him.  
He supposed he couldn't blame her for keeping a detached distance. He'd hurt her. Badly. Slept with her and left before she woke up. The cliché of all clichés in the first time between a man and a woman. Veronica had trusted him with her body and he'd repaid her by running away. He'd lectured her on his being an elder, supposedly more mature and experienced. Instead, he'd acted like a spooked child.  
Logan could give his reasons, like if there was a court hearing against him.  
_One, she's my student and as the older teacher I have the duty to end any such affairs because it's against my ethics code as a professor of any education._  
Bullshit, the Prosecution would say. It was only five years ago that you were in high school being a dumb teenager and cursing at any law or ethics code.  
_Two, Veronica could lose focus in her studies or fail my own class because she's so busy with me.  
_Give me a fucking break, the Prosecution would roll their eyes. You're not that concerned about her studies. Don't be so heroic and righteous,  
_It was funny how the Prosecution's voice sounded like Dick.  
Three… I was feeling emotions I'd never felt before. We'd only known each other two days and the way I was reacting to her presence was scary and novel. As I made love to her I felt __**love**__. How could that be after less than 50 hours together? I'm not a firm believer in love at first sight or fairytale crap. Why her?  
_Ah, that's the million dollar question, Mr. Echolls. Why her? She's special and you've pushed her away like the idiot you are. The Prosecution/Dick grinned. He was reaching the point here.  
_The longest relationship I had was with Madison Sinclair. A year and a half in high school. Then, I found the tapes of her and Daddy Dearest. I didn't love her but I cared about her. Trusted her enough with my life and my secrets. Many girls threw themselves at me in high school for my money and fame, hoping for fifteen minutes of fame on my arm. Madison came around junior year with a sweet smile, saying she understood my pain and wanted to be there for me forever. She was already rich so I thought she wasn't with me to gold dig. And she was so caring and sweet with me…That sweetness was gone quickly. It became a chore to go on dates with her. She was mean and vicious to those around us. Sometimes she'd stand me up and leave me like an idiot, letting me off with a phone call that she had better plans. I should have guessed the plans were with my father. If that's where trust gets you, what can I expect from anyone else? The only one who's never betrayed me is a 24 year old male underwear model who still struggled with telling time. I trust him with my life, he knows about my family problems and Madison's betrayal. He knows how much I hate New York because my father tainted it. And he knows I once tried drugs senior year to get high on life and away from reality. He was the one who go me off it. Yet, I can't trust Dick with my feelings and my issues and trust crap. He would listen but what could he really do to help? It scares me that Veronica could be the person I've been searching for. The one person who I can trust with every part of my life. The fame, the gritty childhood, the issues. She got so close to me in so short a time. What would she do with a week more? A month? A lifetime? God, now I thought about marriage. I'm freaking screwed._  
Finally the accused gets something right! Prosecution/Dick chimes in.  
_Shove it, Dick. The hearing is over. I know what I have to do. Veronica deserves to know why I left. She's too good a person for me to ignore and cut out of my life without further explanation. The question is how to do it. I asked her to stay after class once to go over one of her brilliant essays and she dismissed me, saying her next class was in two minutes. She couldn't be late and at night she worked… somewhere. She wouldn't tell me that detail either.  
_One last thing. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, idiot. Everyone's got their burden to bear. Prosecution/Dick said and Logan had to agree,  
-

"Veronica, your dad says he wants to get together for dinner Wednesday night. After he finishes a case. He said it's important." Mac passed the message along to her roommate.  
"Okay, I'll call him back later. I'm late for work." Veronica tied up her hair and was rushing out the door.  
"Be careful getting home. It'll be late and Hearst hasn't been so safe these last weeks!" Mac called and Veronica promised she'd take her taser.  
It was true. Hearst now had a rapist. Three girls in four weeks. The guy moved fast. This was disgusting and worrying for any girls on campus. The dean had made a curfew that most people still ignored and threatened to shut down the fraternities if wild parties kept going on. After the parties the victims had been raped. An added quirk to the rapist was his signature. After he drugged and raped the women he'd shave their heads and skip off into the night.  
-

Veronica pulled into _Café Nuit_ and walked briskly inside to the light, warm air of the restaurant/café. There were college students and adult couples tucked into the nooks and tables of the place. Her boss, Ava Waters, waved her over.  
"Don't worry I won't rip your head off over 1 minute tardiness." She winked and Veronica thanked her before stepping behind the counter.  
She had chosen the café because it reminded her of her high school job at Java the Hut and cafés always made her feel comfortable and at home. As a girl Veronica's biggest dream had been to visit France, preferably Paris and drink a cup of coffee at the top of the Eiffel Tower. She'd be there with the man she loved, sharing a kiss and the view of Paris. But, no such man had appeared. Once, Duncan had promised her to take her there and even propose at the top of the tower. He was an heir to billions and wanted to showcase his money. Duncan wasn't a showcase, but he wasn't afraid to flaunt his money. Sometimes it annoyed Veronica because humility was a great quality in a guy, rich or not.  
"Can you serve the guy in the left corner? I'm just swamped." A waitress of the café, Mindy, begged Veronica.  
Usually, Veronica only served people who sat at the counter and asked for a croissant and latte. The waitresses did tables, where the café part mixed with the restaurant part.  
"Mindy, I'm not a good waitress. I tried last week to serve a couple and I ended up spilling their crepes on my shoes."  
Mindy laughed.  
"Don't let one thing scare ya forever. Besides, the guy's a total hottie. Even if you spill food on yourself his face will make it worth the mess." Mindy winked and carried the full trays in her and to a table of 5.  
Veronica sighed and told the other girl behind the counter she'd be covering one of Mindy's tables. She took out a note pad and walked to the left corner. It was dark in that part of the café, a dim décor for private couples, and if a man was alone he was either waiting for a woman or looking for one to take home.  
"I'm Veronica; I'll be your server at the café today. What can I get you?" Veronica was looking down at the notepad, finding a blank page.  
"Veronica?"  
"Logan." Her eyes went cold.  
-

Veronica sincerely hoped Ava wouldn't fire her for what she did. What being the fact that the second Veronica recognized the man who'd used her and left her, she threw the notepad at his face, and stormed out to her car. If God was kind he'd have it stop there. But, God could be a wily one.  
"Veronica, stop. Please, I need to talk to you." He had followed her and grabbed her arm so she couldn't get into her car without physically pushing him to the side.  
"Talk as in face to face or talk as in you'll wait for me to fall asleep and run away?" Veronica pretended to tap her finger to her chin. "Both options are tempting but for tonight neither will do."  
"Veronica, I'm so-  
"Don't you dare!" she shouted, blinking back tears. "Why weren't you sorry the day after what you did? In fact, why weren't you sorry the minute we started? I mean, I know you were excited at the prospect of easy sex with a stupid, little girl but I'm sure you had some time to be sorry." Her words grew colder as her eyes grew wetter.  
"I didn't want to hurt you. My feelings for you clouded my judgment and then it was too late and I thought leaving would be the best thing to do. For both of us." He was pleading with her, the lovely hazel eyes she'd pictured in dreams shining with unshed tears like hers.  
"Funny, I don't remember being asked what would be best for me. I thought once I became a legal adult I could take my own decisions. Now, you say you take some for me too? The government needs to specify that in their laws."  
"Why are you being so…" he grasped for the word.  
"Bitchy?"  
"Cold."  
"Because of you." Veronica let tears fall because she couldn't reign her emotions in any longer. "It took me so long to trust guys again. My last boyfriend tried to get closer but I didn't trust him enough. I think it was fair on my part because soon after he left Neptune after getting another girl pregnant. Before, that I had to deal with my virginity being stolen and the boy who did it was one of my boyfriend's close friends. That monster saw me every day. He said hello, shook my hand. He sat next to me at lunch and our legs touched once." She shivered. "My nightmares were horrifying."  
Logan found himself completely immersed in what she was telling him. As her tears fell from the memories, so did his.  
"When I left high school I swore I'd protect myself more. My heart and my body. I'm beyond stupid, though. The first day on campus I bump into you and that was it. I was right back where I started. Letting a guy dictate my emotions and hold my heart. Thanks for stomping on it, by the way. I'm used to it so I shouldn't be surprised, but I can't deny that it hurt." Her tears fell freely and she used all her strength to shake off his grip and push him to the side.  
She got into her car, placing her key in the ignition. Logan stared after the car, frozen in place his cheek bleeding single drops from the paper cut the thrown notepad had given him.  
"I'm so sorry." He said and dropped to his knees in the parking lot.  
Though his car was a few spaces away, getting up was impossible. Veronica's pain had flowed into him, leaving him as wounded as she was.  
_It's more than apologizing to her. I have to protect her. I need her. And a part of me thinks she needs me too._  
Logan stood then, with a new goal to keep him going. He'd caused an angel like Veronica pain and he could atone for the sin by being her protector.  
_I'll be there if she wants it or not. If I lose my job than so be it.  
Why her?  
Because I'm in love with her.  
_The inner voice that he called Dick laughed. Dude, that took you forever.  
-

Mac didn't have to ask why Veronica came home with tearstains on her face. Only one person affected her like that. After Veronica fell asleep, Mac opened her laptop prepared to ruin Logan Echolls. She used a program Veronica had showed her from the PI work Keith Mars did and decided to run a background check on Logan. Her jaw dropped when she read about the abuse and his father's trial in court. Logan had been the lead witness. He accused Aaron Echolls of abuse. Mac wasn't one for tabloids and gossip T.V programs so she'd never heard of the Echolls or at least not their son and his whirlwind life. He was arrested various times and checked into the hospital more than a dozen times. That would be explained by the abuse.  
_Everyone has their scars. Even the rich and mighty, because Echolls is a rich family. I'm not cruel enough to mess with this guy. He has a past almost as dark as Veronica's. She's going to have to decide if she wants him in her life or not. Although, he makes her cry one more time I'll send him a threatening letter and knock out his cable and Internet connection for a week. That should scare the average sports-crazed male, right?  
_Mac debated showing Veronica the information on Logan's past.  
_No, I can't. V is strong enough to figure this out or Logan will have to tell her himself._  
She pressed the delete key so all the documents downloaded onto the computer disappeared. Then, she slipped into her bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Honey, how've you been?" Keith Mars kissed his daughter on the cheek as they sat for a casual dinner at Luigi's, Veronica's favorite Italian spot.  
Wednesday night came quickly. Veronica didn't have Criminology Tuesdays or Wednesdays so the meeting with Logan grew slightly more bearable. She had pushed it to the back of her mind for the moment.  
"Can't complain. How's the life of a private dick going?"  
Keith gave a wry grin.  
"Have to complain."  
"What's wrong?"  
"I was hired for this case but I've hit a dead end."  
"What kind of case?"  
"A rapist."  
Veronica paused.  
"The Hearst rapist."  
"Yes. I knew you'd be aware of the situation."  
"Three victims so far."  
"Alice, Ella, and Claire."  
"All with their hair shaved off and heavy drugs in their system."  
"Who hired you?"  
"Dean O'Dell and the board of directors of the college. They're getting threats of closing the school if the fear of the rapes extends."  
"Okay, why are you telling me this? You hated including me in your cases? I helped with some in high school and you would jump at my throat."  
"Exaggeration." He complained.  
"Fine. I didn't even do the high-risk ones. And I was _very _good."  
"Yes, you were. And that's why I'm telling you this." Keith groaned. "I need your help with this case. I have access to the campus, but as a student and female at the school you have more opportunity and strength in finding the rapist. But, if I give you my files and let you be a part of this you need to promise me you will take precautions. And I have two. One, always take your taser. Two, when investigating _any_ lead no matter how safe you think it is you will take someone. A friend, like Mac or Wallace. Another person has to be there for emergencies."  
"Dad, I can take care of myself. I took self-defense classes for two years, per your insistence remember? I can handle myself in a fight against any man."  
"I know you can, sweetheart but a father still worries. And if you don't agree to my conditions you're  
not part of this case."  
Veronica sighed but thought it over. She wanted to help her father and she wanted to help the women of Hearst. Rape was something low and filthy. The feeling of your innocence being taken from you was horrible. Even if you weren't a virgin, a rape made you feel so out of control and weak. Veronica hated being weak.  
"I agree to your conditions. Give me the files."  
Keith kept a grimace on his face as he slid over the files.  
"I'm going to regret this."  
"I won't" she said, already on the second page of the file on the first victim.  
_Engaging my mind in a case like this will keep it from Logan and the pain he caused me. Besides, any chance to use my PI skills and my taser sounds like a good idea. What could possibly go wrong?_  
What, indeed?


	5. Chapter 5

**This one is shorter than usual but I needed to introduce the mystery element to the story. Veronica is a junior PI, after all.**

Five

Veronica shook the hair out of her eyes in frustration and turned back to her dad's case files. She sat at a table in a recluse part of the Hearst library, close enough to be seen but not heard by the other students. It had been a long day where she had all 4 of the classes she was taking one after the other. Eight hours of non-stop learning was exhausting.  
Mac had invited Wallace and Piz to their dorm for some board game battles. Veronica said she would be there after she did some "studying". Mac knew Veronica was now investigating the Hearst rapist, but promised to lock her lips and throw away the key to keep it from Wallace. It was another secret only Mac, BFF 1, was privy to.  
Veronica took a sip of her Diet Coke and remembered the confusing incident in Criminology earlier that day. Logan had shown the class a gory murder from the 80's where a woman, Sandra Jackson, was stabbed to death in the heart. He showed them the list of suspects with alibis and motives. Then, he asked them to write who they believed was the murderer and explain, in detail, why they thought the other suspects were innocent. The class was given forty minutes to solve the murder by eliminating the given suspects. One of the suspects was indeed the murderer.  
"Okay, time's up. If you wrote that Bernard Lowell, the woman's neighbor was the murderer… You were correct. I'll give you a pat on the back for it. More important is how you eliminated suspects. The way you observe and examine information and reach conclusions is what defines a career or a murder case. For instance, James Cross, the boyfriend. Ms. Mars, from your near perfect grade in my class I assume you solved the mystery?"  
Veronica was slightly surprised at his direct address of her, but she nodded.  
"And how did you discern that James Cross was not the killer?"  
"The crime was very cold and calculated. For a man who was so romantic and passionate, with his girlfriend and with the rest of his life as an eccentric yet respected painter it was strange. Also, they'd been together eight years, Sandra's parents said she was happier than ever and he asked her father for her hand in marriage. That was a month before the murder. It didn't fit that he'd murder his almost fiancée so cruelly. He had an acceptable alibi for the time of death, but what convinced me of his innocence was the video you showed of his arrival at the crime scene an hour after her body was found. The grief and pain on his face was too real, too raw, to be acted or rehearsed. He loved her with all he had… and he'd lost her." She finished.  
The class was silent at the beauty of her answer in a case as grisly as a stab to death.  
"Thank you for sharing your view, Veronica. Amazing, as always." Logan finally said, turning to another student for the next suspect.  
She hadn't missed the longing in his face when he said her first name or the admiration in his voice at her response to his question.  
_Enough about Logan! There are more important things at hand. Women are being raped and getting their heads shaved. I need to concentrate on a way to stop it._  
The case files only showed that the three victims had two things in common. One, they were drugged then raped after large fraternity parties and found in their own rooms afterwards. Two, the three said the only clear memory of what happened was the overwhelming scent of the man's cologne.  
"Tom Ford. Italian Cypress." She said to herself, wondering why it seemed so familiar.  
_"Damn, this looks flashy." Wallace said, pulling the brown glass bottle off the shelf at the luxuriously decorated store Veronica had pulled him into at their trip to the mall.  
"It's Tom Ford. Italian Cypress. Want to smell like a mix of clove, moss, spice and patchouli?" Veronica asked, reading the bottom of the bottle.  
"Pat-a-whati?"  
"Patchouli" she corrected. "It's an herb in the mint family with a heady aroma used in some of the best scents in the industry."  
Wallace was staring at her.  
"Should I ask how you know so much about the herbs used by the affluent upper class?"  
"Duncan had a cologne with the same herb, all right? It's only been five months, Wallace." She avoided his gaze, holding in tears at the way Duncan was treating her and the love they'd once had.  
Wallace grabbed the tester bottle and sprayed a small amount on his neck.  
"What do you think? Can I pull off the rich boy smell?" he leaned into her and she laughed, sniffing his neck.  
"Change your name to Walter, buy a tuxedo you'll use once in your life and you're golden." She gave a thumbs-up._

Veronica remembered the scent. It was strong and musky, In another situation the cologne would be a sensual lure for women, but a rapist was donning it to the smell only caused the victims pain. However, neither Keith Mars nor other law enforcement could scour the campus, smelling male students. And that was their only lead.  
Veronica checked the time and saw it was 8:15. The dean's curfew was 8:30 and Veronica didn't want to be caught breaking it. She was leaving the library when she bumped into a tall brunette and dropped her Journalism textbook.  
"Sorry about that, beautiful." The guy winked, picking up her book and leaning towards her to give it back. "I'm Mercer Edwards."  
She was about to thank him and respond with her name when the scent of his cologne surrounded her. She gasped.  
"Are you okay? You're not mute are you?" Mercer joked.  
"N-no. Uh, thanks." She took her book and hurried part him, ignoring his question about at least giving him her name.  
She got into her car and drove to the parking lot near her dorm. Only then did she stop to think about her discovery.  
_That was the cologne. Tom Ford. Italian Cypress. It could be a coincidence or…_  
Veronica shivered at being so close to the possible Hearst rapist.  
"Shake it off, Veronica. You're one step closer to catching the bastard. All you need is more information on Mercer Edwards. And for that I'm going to need some help." Veronica took out her cell phone and dialed a number that was sealed into her memory from the frequent use in high school.  
"Hey Weevil. Yes, I need a favor. And yes, it involves illegal activity. But, it's very small law-breaking. Scout's honor." She said.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm not going to drag out the Hearst rapist case because we have Mercer as the suspect and it's just catching him in the act that's left. This case isn't the focus of the story so Veronica will be handling it soon.**

Six

"Veronica. Veronica!" Mac shook her roommate awake.  
"W-what? Five more minutes." She mumbled, burying her head under her pillow.  
"Veronica, it's 8:15. Your Criminology class starts in fifteen minutes."  
"Shit! I can't be late again." Veronica shot out of bed and pushed apart clothes in her dresser to find a suitable outfit.

Twenty minutes later she ran down the hallway, having a strange sense of déjà vu, and stopped in front of room 175. She pulled open the door and all her classmates turned to face the late arrival.  
_Jeez, don't you people have anything better to do than gawk at me? _  
"Miss Mars that is the third time this week. There were three times last week as well."  
"It's five minutes." She rolled her eyes and took her seat in the last row.  
"It's still late. Stay after class." He ordered.  
She resisted the urge to curse.  
_It's not my fault Mercer chooses the nights I have class early in the morning to go out. I've been trailing him every night for about two weeks and all I've learned is he likes hazelnut coffee from the bakery a few blocks off campus. I told my dad about the lead I had and he warned me, yet again, to take another person with me while I did even the slightest of surveillance… I've been going alone. It's just me staring at Mercer in his car while safely in mine. Nothing's happened. Wallace told us the other day that he was invited to a big bash at the Theta sorority house Friday night. Another big party means another rape. It's the rapist's MO. If Mercer is the rapist he'll be there tomorrow night and I can catch him in the act.  
I'm going to have to tell Wallace and Piz about the case I'm working so they can help me find Mercer in the crowd and keep an eye out for any drugged girls. Great, Wallace will lecture me about the dangers of taking cases and he'll threaten to tell my father.  
_Veronica zoned out the whole class and when Logan dismissed everyone she remained in her seat, staring at her pen, lost in thoughts of the Hearst rapist.  
"Thank you for staying, Miss Mars." Logan approached her but noticed she wasn't exactly listening. "Miss Mars? Veronica!"  
She shook her head to clear it.  
"Sorry, what?"  
"What's going on, Veronica? Why have you been late to my class every day these two weeks? Is it because of our… time together?"  
Veronica's eyes became blue flames.  
"How can you and your ego inhabit the same room without suffocating each other?"  
"I didn't mean to assume. I was worried. About you." He clarified.  
"I'll try to be on time." She stood, tilting her head up at him. "Is that all, _Professor_?"  
He sighed.  
"No, it isn't. I'm not worried as your teacher; I'm worried as your friend. You look like Steve Buscemi." He stared pointedly at the deep circles under her eyes.  
"Friend? Don't make me laugh. For your information, I've been working and studying late." She lied.  
"Maybe you should focus only on your studies. You have a full scholarship here. Academics should come before anything else."  
"Thanks for the sermon, can I go?" she tapped her foot with impatience and Logan knew he wouldn't be able to reach her at that point.  
"Yes. If you're late again I'll be forced to give you detention."  
"Oh no!" she said overdramatizing worry.  
She turned on her heel and walked out the door, letting it slam behind her.  
Logan sat at his desk and put his head in his hands. Every day he thought of Veronica and every night he dreamt of their few moments together. He couldn't rid himself of her and he's simply stopped trying. Instead, he'd go to the café she worked a half hour before her shift would start and wait at a table in the back, always ordering before he sat down so the waitress wouldn't bother him. He'd wait out her shift and when she left he'd follow her car back to her dorm. Only then would he drive home. Unless she was really studying late, it wasn't her job that was keeping her up late.  
What Logan didn't know was that Veronica would stop at her dorm to change before going on stake outs to follow Mercer. It kept her up til 4 in the morning sometimes.  
"I'm going to have to adjust the plan a bit." He said to himself.

"Dude, you'll never guess what I just heard!" Dick exclaimed the instant Logan opened the door to the apartment.  
"Every day I come home and you're still here a part of me dies."  
"Is that sarcasm? I can never tell with you." Dick shrugged it off. "Anyway, there's a big party at a sorority on campus. The Thetas. A lot of the girls I dated in high school were Thetas. It's the sluttiest sorority. We have to go."  
"Are you slow?"  
"No, I'm pretty fast. I ran track in high school, dude. You were there."  
"I meant slow as in mentally retarded."  
"Hey, that's hurtful!"  
"Dick, I can't be seen at a campus party. Some of my students will be there. It's inappropriate."  
"Ah, but what if it isn't on campus? What, then?"  
"It's still my students engaging in illegal activities that as a teacher I would have to report."  
"Yeah, but you won't report it because you're not that big of a buzz kill. It's tomorrow night and it's at Dog Beach. Imagine all those college girls in wet, tiny bikinis." Dick almost jumped with glee.  
"Imagine me, fired and getting a restraining order from one of those girls' parents."  
"What happened to you? You were the King of Parties in high school. You ruled our school and you always had a hot girl at your side, before and after Madison."  
"We're not in high school anymore, Dick. It's time for you to accept that."  
"I'm leaving Saturday afternoon. I've got another show in Texas. I'm going on the Europe tour the week after that. I won't be back in the country for two years, Logan. Are you really going to make me spend our last best friend bonding night alone?"  
Logan groaned.  
"Why can't we go get drunk or visit a strip club?"  
"I want to do this!" Dick whined.  
"Fine. But, if any of my students recognize me I'll kill you."  
"They won't. I already have your outfit planned."  
"My outfit? Maybe all the modeling and shopping with top designers had made you curve a little from the straight path…"  
"Are you trying to say I'm gay?" Dick's jaw dropped.  
"Remember the Winter Carnival senior year."  
"You said you would never bring that up. You promised, dude!"  
Logan laughed as Dick stomped to the guest room in embarrassment. Dick had gotten wasted with stolen whiskey and had made out with a man disguised as a horny mom in the parking lot. It was a moment that would go down in history. Logan would never let his friend live that down.  
He sat at his kitchen table with a cup of tea and the latest papers from his classes. He'd asked the class to create the perfect murder where the student would technically get away with murder. During the summer Logan had attended a teaching seminar where some old bag of a teacher sniped that encouraging teenagers to contemplate murder would lead to anarchy and destruction. Logan had calmly explained that wasn't the point of the exercise. Besides, 99.9% of the time a student messed up in one or two small details and the murder would be a failure. When the old bag huffed and turned away Logan gave him the finger.  
He was mature, but still in his early twenties and old people seemed to have a stick in constant placement up their asses.  
"C. C. D. Oh a promising B." Logan muttered out loud as he went through the murders.  
It was quick work since most people chose a murder at night with a silenced gun. The common mistake was not wearing gloves and not making sure there weren't any people as witnesses. Logan almost cried at the idiocy of one of his students, Jeff Ratner, whose perfect murder involved tin foil to silence the gun and shooting a random man on the street at night so there would be no connection.  
**That would make it sloppy and unpredictable. The situation could take any wrong turn and you would have noise or discovery. As for the tin foil… that wouldn't silence a baby's rattle. Next time, Mr. Ratner, spend more time thinking your assignments through and less time drooling on your desk as you sleep my class away**_, _Logan wrote, giving Jeff Ratner a big, red **F**.

He pushed the paper to the bottom of the pile and looked at the next one. It had already grabbed his attention because there was an actual cover and a cartoon under the heading, A Perfect Murder. It was a cartoon of a small room with a caricature of various famous serial killers, like the mysterious Zodiac, the gruesome pig farmer that inspired Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and others. At the bottom of the cartoon, in small print was **Planned by Veronica Mars.**  
Logan smiled and opened the lengthy paper to the first page. When he finished reading it he gave an astonished whistle.  
**A+. Oh, and please never plan to murder me, Veronica. I'm afraid you'd easily get away with it.**  
He put her paper at the bottom of the pile and prepared himself for the crap other students called an assignment.  
-

_Shit, _Veronica thought when she barreled through the door of the Criminology classroom ten minutes late. Logan was sitting at his desk talking about the class' planning a murder papers. He gave her a glance and just said.  
"Stay after class, Ms. Mars."  
She sat and silently listened to his speech.  
"I have never been more disappointed in my students. One of you wrote about the murder of a Chinese man that would go unsolved because no one would care, which was incredibly racist and stupid. I have three F's and a majority of you scored a beautiful C+. There was only one student who got a perfect grade. Veronica Mars."  
The class turned to stare at her, many like Jeff Ratner, with jealousy and envy.  
"You should all take a lesson from her." Logan finished, moving on to the lesson.  
There were some whispered comments from her classmates and Veronica gave a quiet groan.  
_Thanks a bunch, Logan, now everyone hates me and thinks I'm some sort of teacher's pet._

After class ended and the students filed out, Jeff Ratner giving her a particularly angry look. Veronica stood and approached Logan's desk.  
"Explain."  
"I overslept."  
"I got that. Mostly because your sweater is on backwards."  
Veronica looked down and saw that the tag was slipping out of the front of the sweater.  
"Oh… embarrassing." She commented, reaching to take it off and put it the right way.  
In the process of adjusting her sweater she lifted the small tank top underneath to mid stomach and Logan gulped as memories of his skin on hers came back. She was soft and smooth and when her skin was slicked with sweat it was especially delicious.  
_Stop that! She is your student and nothing else._  
"Veronica, you can't be late to my class again. I won't give you detention today, but one more lateness and I'll have to take this to the dean."  
Her blue eyes were cold as she glared down at him.  
"Of course you will." She turned to go and in her haste some of her books fell out of her open bag.  
"Ugh, I'm a train wreck today." She bent to pick up notebooks and pens and Logan bent too, passing her things quickly.  
Veronica felt his hand touch hers and pulled back at the electric shock that was still present.  
"What's this?" Logan's eyes fell upon a manila folder that was opened with details on the Hearst rapist.  
"Nothing." She snatched it back and stuffed it into her bag with her other books.  
"Veronica, are you investigating the rapist on campus?"  
"Before you start some high and mighty lecture on the dangers of it, I have to say one, it's not your business and two, and I'm no stranger to investigations. My dad's a private investigator and I helped him all through high school."  
"Playing fake detective isn't the same as getting involved with a rapist!"  
"I solved the murder of my best friend! That was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, but I did it."  
Logan fell silent and Veronica cursed loudly and colorfully in her head. Every time she got into heated discussions with Logan she'd reveal something about her past that definitely didn't have to be public knowledge.  
"You've been through a lot, Veronica… But so have I. You can trust me with some things. Like this, let me help you with this."  
"Absolutely not! You think that because I've been careless enough to blurt out my dark secrets you're suddenly my confidante or my best friend? You wanna come over and braid my hair while I paint your fingernails?" Veronica ran from the classroom, leaving Logan staring helplessly after her.  
He realized that Veronica was used to compartmentalizing stress and emotions and around him there was enough pain that she was close to exploding all the time. She'd buried their time together and the blame she felt towards him, making her outwardly bitter and sarcastic. And though Logan should let the girl go, he couldn't bring himself to exorcize the images of the beautiful blonde who had captured his heart from his mind. He had promised himself to protect her and if she was working on the rape case that was plaguing the campus there was bound to be danger.  
Logan went to his laptop and searched the internet for any details on the Hearst rapist. The Sheriff's Department didn't have any comments, but Logan found a chat room Hearst students used and after signing in as a guest he read some of the student's comments.  
Carl2000: **I heard they've happened at the big sorority parties.  
**Laceygirl: **The dean should just close the frats! It's the bastards at those sororities that are causing the rapes  
**MarkyMark: **A ball-breaking feminist against sororities? What a surprise. You must be too ugly to be in any public setting.  
**Laceygirl: **What an asshole! You are the cause of corruption and rape, I hope you're happy!  
**MarkyMark: **I have a party at a beach tonight. I hope you and your tubs of ice cream are happy alone and unloved.  
**_The Theta party tonight. It's another big sorority party. Does that mean another rape? If Veronica is investigating the rapes, she must be attending the party tonight. Well, at least Dick will be happy. We are absolutely going to the damn party now._Logan thought.  
-

"I don't want to go to the damn party!" Mac complained, as Veronica packed a bag with two towels, in case their clothes got wet.  
"I don't want to either, but it's an opportunity to catch the rapist. Mercer is going. I heard him and this other guy talking about it. Mac, if that guy is the rapist I have to be there."  
"Why haven't we told your dad about this?"  
"Because he's busy with other cases and I can handle this myself."  
"Veronica, you can't possibly think you and me can stop a psychotic man who's raped three girls of our age and stature all by ourselves?"  
"Of course not."  
There was a knock on the door and Veronica pulled the door open to welcome Wallace and Piz in.  
"Those two weenies can't help us." Mac muttered but Veronica was the only one who heard and ignored it.  
"You hear about the best parties, V." Wallace said.  
"Yeah, I have connections." She had heard through the gossip of two particularly dense girls in her English class.  
"Since the party is on a beach there won't be any need for the fake ID's I'd made."  
"You made fake ID's?" Piz smiled.  
"Of course. A girl's gotta be prepared."  
"Can we have them anyway?"  
"Planning to buy some booze, Wally?"  
"If I can get some of the good quality."  
"Fine, but be careful with these." She handed out the fake ID's.  
"Veronica, tell them the real reason for this party."  
"Mac!"  
"No, I am not allowing us to enter into a dangerous situation and not have our only form of protection not know what's going on."  
"Veronica, what does she mean?" Wallace asked.  
"Nothing, she's babbling."  
Mac crossed her arms and stood next to Wallace, who also crossed his arms. Veronica was faced with the stern faces of her best friends and she groaned.  
"Alright!"  
She explained the situation to Wallace and Piz.  
"Be on the lookout for Mercer and for any girl that looks dazed and drugged. Mercer will prey on them and get them on their own."  
"Wait, you said he drugs them then takes them to their apartments to rape them there?" Piz asked.  
"Yeah."  
"We have to be on the lookout for a guy taking a girl home? Uh, won't that be half the party? I don't know what Mercer looks like."  
"Shit. I didn't get a picture of him. It never occurred to me."  
"I know him." Mac said. "We can split into two groups for the night."  
"I'll stay with Veronica." Piz spoke quickly and the other three stared at him, causing him to blush.  
"Sure, that's a good idea. We have to keep in contact when we get split up at the party. It's going to be big."  
-

Big was an understatement. Every popular kid on campus who deserved the title and some have-nots that tagged along were there. There were people from other colleges nearby or friends of a Hearst student. Veronica estimated about 600 people crowding the beach. It was a wonder Lamb didn't have all his deputies there to steal the kegs and stop the party. Then again, there were some very rich, influential people in attendance and bribing Lamb was not a difficult task.  
"Call me if you see Mercer leaving the party." Veronica said to her best friends as they prepared to split in the groups of two.  
"I haven't seen him yet." Mac said, looking around.  
"Me neither, but he'll be here. The rapes have happened at these parties. It has to happen tonight."  
"Be careful, V." Wallace gave her a quick hug. "Do not lose sight of her." He addressed Piz.  
"I won't" the brunette promised and they went their separate ways.

"Want a drink?" Piz offered after they wandered through the party aimlessly for close to two hours without any sight of Mercer.  
"I don't trust any of the drinks here."  
"I saw bottled water near the rocks over there."  
"I'll get one for myself then."  
"No, I can get it."  
"No." she said firmly and Piz was startled by her tone.  
"Sorry. I'll be right back. Don't move from this spot." She gave a small smile and moved to the rocks.  
Veronica liked Piz, he was nice and all, but she'd learned the hard way not to trust drinks at large parties. Veronica would only drink from cups she got for herself. Not even Wallace could hand her a drink she would trust completely. It was something she couldn't shake from her rape. She approached the rocks and found the cooler with the water bottles. She took two and opened one, gulping the cold liquid down her dry throat.  
"Worked up quite the thirst there." A familiar voice said from behind her.  
She gasped at the person in front of her.

Keri Matthews felt strange… Dizzy and disoriented.  
_I didn't drink that much, did I? Only two shots and that beer._  
Keri stumbled through the crowd, being pushed by dancing couples and boys playing football along the beach. She looked for her friend, Samantha, but frowned when she realized Samantha wasn't anywhere near her and she wasn't sure where she was.  
_I got my beer at that diamond shaped table and then… I don't remember.  
_Keri's thoughts grew hazier and hazier. She dropped the cup in her hand, jumping in surprise. She'd forgotten that the beer cup was still in her hand. She stared confusedly at the brown liquid on the floor and the small flecks of white visible at the top.  
_Is that salt? Or sugar? _She thought stupidly. _That's it. I'm too tired._  
Keri stumbled her way to the parking lot that overlooked the beach and walked to her own car. She was in no condition to drive but Keri wasn't the brightest girl in Neptune and she figured she'd driven after strong drinks before and nothing had happened. She was halfway to her car when she heard footsteps behind her.  
"H-hello?" she slurred but got no response.  
She tried to walk faster and inadvertently stepped on a loose pebble and fell forward.  
_Must get u-up.  
_Keri felt her vision fade to black from the effect of some unknown force and the last thing she saw was a hooded figure approaching her and reaching out to touch her body.


	7. Chapter 7

**While I remain obsessed with finishing the last 2 parts of Casablancas Mars I've been neglecting my other stories. So here is an update on my other story.**

Chapter 7

"Here to break up this party with the plethora of violations to your precious educational rules? Look! Someone's smoking a bong over there. Go get 'em!" Veronica whistled as if he were a dog.  
Logan sighed and adjusted the dark sunglasses covering his eyes. He hadn't been able to resist the urge to approach Veronica, who once again looked beautiful in her simple shorts and tank top. Dick had wandered off some time before to flirt with tipsy college girls.  
"I didn't come here to get anyone in trouble."  
"Just to make my life miserable?"  
"Veronica… I'm here to help."  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I want to help you with your case. To catch the Hearst rapist."  
"Lower your voice! And I don't need or want your help." She turned, but he quickly grabbed her arm.  
"Everyone needs help sometimes."  
"My friends are here."  
"I don't see them right now." He pointed out and she begrudgingly agreed.  
She had glanced to the last place Piz had been standing, but he wasn't there anymore. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Mac's number.  
"Mac."  
"Veronica, we've got him."  
"What? Why didn't you call me!"  
"We couldn't waste any time. Wallace and I found Piz and we were going to wait for you to come back, but this girl was shouting her friend's name. We went up to her and asked her what was wrong and she said her friend had been missing for an hour and she was worried. It wasn't easy getting information from her since her breath was strong enough to clean windows. Drunk didn't even begin to cover it. Anyway, we got her name and I recognized her from the dorm next to ours. Piz wanted to stay behind for you, but I said we needed as much force as we could to take on Mercer."  
"Where are you?"  
"We're in Wallace's car and we're about to reach the dorms."  
"What was the girl's name?"  
"Jessica McClain. I've gotta go. We're entering the dorms."  
"No wait, Mac-  
Mac hung up before Veronica could ask her for more information.  
"Shit."  
"What happened?" Logan asked.  
"Leave me alone, _Professor._"  
"Outside of class you can call me Logan."  
"Golly gee thanks for the privilege, Teach." She snarked. "Or I should I call you Morpheus? With those glasses and leather jacket you could be part of the Matrix"  
"I didn't want anyone to recognize me."  
"I did."  
"I only came here for you."  
Veronica looked up and found herself unusually frustrated by Logan's eyes being unavailable to her. His eyes were remarkable with flecks of gold in certain spots and an amalgamation of brown and green.  
_Perfect way to prove your sanity and how you're trying to forget him, Mars. An inner monologue about his eye color._  
"I have to go. This is a serious matter and I don't have time for you and your games."  
"I'm not playing games, Veronica."  
She was about to shoot back a bitter response when she noticed a figure in a gray hoodie walking through the crowd with a determined purpose in mind. He had a deliberate walk with heavy steps that were at the same time graceful. He moved with his head down so that people around didn't see his face head-on. Veronica kept her eyes trained on him and in one split second where he moved his head to adjust the hood she recognized the figure.  
"Mercer" she breathed involuntarily, watching in horror as he fiddled with something in his pocket.  
He left the beach area and went towards the parking lot.  
"Veronica? What's wrong?" Logan touched her shoulder after seeing her face pale.  
"He's still here. He's after another girl."  
"Who is? The rapist?"  
Veronica had to go after Mercer and her backup for the night was miles away on the wrong trail. Logan was her only source of help. She couldn't go after Mercer with only her taser. He was a practiced rapist and no one knew what he was truly capable of.  
"I need your help."  
Logan didn't hesitate.  
"What are we doing?"  
"Going after Mercer Edwards. I think he's getting his next victim right now."  
-

Keri Matthews opened her eyes groggily. She felt lightheaded and out of control, like she had no power over movement of her body. She felt like the earth was spinning and she recognized moonlight streaming in from a window. A window of a moving car.  
_Where am I?  
_Keri tried her hardest to move her head and she achieved a slight loll from her position in the backseat. She gasped at a man in a hooded sweater driving at speeds that had to be illegal. The man heard her sound and turned his cold eyes to her. Keri had no chance to whimper or scream for help before the man delivered a blow to her head, knocking her out for the rest of the journey.  
"Sleep tight Keri. You're lucky number 4. Of course, at number 5 I'll throw some sort of party." Mercer pushed his hood down and laughed. "Maybe that pretty blonde from the library. She looked yummy and the shy ones are the truly dirty ones. I would love to get a glance under those pants." He grew hard thinking about it and he forced himself to calm down.  
In a matter of minutes he'd be at Keri's apartment, conveniently located off campus, enjoying the dumb college girl's willing body.  
"Well… willing enough." He chuckled and drove faster, pushing his car to 103 MPH as his thoughts turned more graphic and obscene in his longing for sex.  
-

"Don't lose him." Veronica ordered and Logan gave a quick nod.  
Veronica had run to the parking lot and he'd followed, waiting for her to point out the rapist. She had seen him enter a car, alone, but she said he had a girl with him for certain. Logan hadn't questioned her and instead led her to his car, a black Range Rover that blended in with the night and made for a perfect trailing vehicle.  
"He's heading away from Hearst."  
"The girl must live in an apartment off-campus. She must be rich, have 09'er parents."  
"09'er?" he questioned.  
"The wealthy district here. The three victims have been raped in their own dorms, after three different frat parties. Mercer is popular and well-known so he's at every party. It's his perfect chance to dose a victim. Girls aren't careful with their cups and drinks." Her face became impenetrably blank and Logan knew something else was bothering her.  
He also knew if he asked she might close off completely and jump from the moving car to work alone.  
"How did you figure out that Mercer was the rapist?"  
"I ran into him at the library and his cologne… The three victims had one thing in common. Their experiences brought back the scent of specific cologne. It was pure coincidence that I ran into Mercer."  
"What did he say to you?"  
"He came on to me. It made me sick." She admitted and Logan didn't press her.  
"There."  
Veronica saw Mercer's car parked in front of a luxurious apartment complex. He'd already gotten out of the car with the co-ed, which meant he was a step ahead of them.  
"Don't these places have doormen?"  
"Maybe he's off-duty or left. It's pretty late. Even the front desk must be closed at this time. It's past midnight."  
"Let's go." She got out of the car in one swift motion and made for the door, but Logan grabbed her arm again.  
"Why are you all grabby?"  
"I want you to promise me something."  
"Now?" she asked, impatiently.  
"Yes now. We're going to stop this rapist together. When we find him you'll let me take care of him and you take care of the girl. Veronica, I won't allow you to get hurt by this psycho. Promise you'll let me take care of Mercer." He had taken off his glasses, permitting her the intense contact of his hazel eyes.  
"I promise." She whispered and he nodded, entering the building with her by his side.  
-

"Crap!' Wallace slammed his hand on his car.  
"Jessica was in her room, passed out and definitely alone with all her hair in place. She was drooling for God's sakes. We went after the wrong girl." Mac groaned and they got back into the car as she dialed Veronica's number.  
"Well?"  
"It goes directly to voicemail. She turned it off."  
"What are the chances she hasn't gone after the rapist by herself?" Wallace asked in a tight tone.  
"A googolplex to one." Mac said softly and Wallace stepped on the accelerator with all the force in his foot.  
"Keep calling." He ordered and sped towards the beach where they'd foolishly left Veronica alone.  
-

"How will we find him? This complex is five floors. He could have taken her into any of them. Do we know the girl's name?"  
"No."  
Veronica sighed and shut her eyes before taking a deep breath. She knew a girl's purity and safety was in her hands. Things seemed hopeless from where they stood, but she'd been in tough cases before. There had to be something she wasn't seeing or a clue she was missing. Mercer was a smart mathematics major. She'd been tracking him and studying his school files, courtesy of Weevil's job as the Dean's personal custodian. Mercer would be out late at night at mathematic centers and tournaments, as well as parties. He was more than the average party idiot.  
_Come on, Veronica. What was that thing you noticed in his personal file? He met with a therapist because his mother committed suicide when he was 16. What was that comment the therapist made?  
_**Boy has a small case of paranoid schizophrenia. He has mentioned auditory delusions in which a woman chants a specific pattern of numbers. 13 21 34. It's the first ten numbers of the Fibonacci sequence. Haven't seen the significance to Mercer's problems or life.**  
"The Fibonacci sequence." She said out loud and Logan's brow furrowed.  
"The math sequence where each subsequent number in the pattern is the sum of the previous two?"  
"For a Criminology teacher you know a lot about mathematics."  
"That sequence has been used by obsessed serial killers and criminals worldwide. I've read some interesting cases where it's a factor. Why are you mentioning it?"  
Veronica gave him a brief explanation of Mercer's file.  
"The dorm rooms of the first three victims were in a specific order. The first girl was in dorm 034. The second was in 055. The third in 089. The next number, according to Fibonacci, is room 144."  
"He follows the pattern to rape girls?"  
"He's a paranoid schizophrenic with severe mommy issues. Surprised?" Veronica found the door marked stairs and ran up them, Logan on her heels, as they stopped at the first floor from the lobby.  
They went through the darkened hallways without speaking until Veronica saw Room 144. She went to open the door, but Logan gently pushed her behind him so he would be the first one to enter the room.  
She glared at him pointlessly since they were in the dark. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and put his hand on the doorknob. The door was unlocked and he pushed it open.  
Veronica screamed at Mercer's twisted face as he hovered over the naked girl, unconscious and with her hair shaved on his bed. He snarled and turned towards them. Veronica saw he was still in his underwear so they'd made it in time.  
"Stay back, Veronica." Logan said again as Mercer charged at them.  
"Watch out!" she shouted as Mercer charged at Logan with a gleaming knife.  
Logan ducked and grabbed Mercer from behind, pushing him to the floor and kneeling on his upper body and pinning his arms to the ground so the knife dropped from his hand to the carpet. Veronica dialed 911, telling them it was an emergency and rattling off the address. She was wrapping a blanket around Keri and putting her phone in her pocket when she saw the sudden movement from outside the door. Logan's back was turned as he pinned Mercer to the floor and Veronica had no time to warn him as the boy she recognized as Wallace's resident advisor. Moe ran in, yielding a bat and hit Logan over the head, causing him to fall forward and lose his grip on Mercer.  
"No!" Veronica shouted as Mercer picked up the knife and rammed it into Logan's arm.  
Logan cried out in pain but punched Mercer and dragged him to the floor. Moe tried to use the bat again, but Veronica kicked him in the crotch causing him to drop the bat and clutch himself. She used the opportunity to kick him again, with enough force to knock him back. She picked up the bat and hit him on the head once, knocking him out. She turned and saw that Mercer was close to stabbing Logan's chest. She reeled back the bat and then brought it down _hard_ on Mercer's back. Mercer groaned and Logan pushed him back, launching a final punch to force him into unconsciousness.  
Veronica was left holding the metal bat and breathing heavy breaths from the adrenaline rush she'd experienced. There was silence as three of the five occupants of the room were unconscious.  
"So… where did you learn to kick ass like that?" Logan asked, breaking the silence.  
-

An hour later Keri was at a hospital with her parents, waiting for the drugs to wear off and Moe and Mercer were at the Sheriff's Department in separate jail cells awaiting a court date. Veronica and Logan had to be questioned by Sheriff Lamb at the station. That was where they sat when Keith Mars as well as Veronica's friends arrived.  
"Veronica! Thank God, when I got the call I was so worried." Keith took his daughter into his arms as she hugged him back.  
"I'm okay, Dad. I didn't go after Mercer alone. Logan was with me."  
Keith didn't stop to look at the man sitting next to his daughter. He was still examining that she was in one piece.  
"Did they hurt you? Either of them?"  
"No, I knocked one out and helped Logan with the other one, if you must know. Those self-defense classes really came in handy." She joked and Keith hugged her again.  
"I wished they wouldn't. But there's never a way to keep you from trouble. I might as well have you well armed for the battles. I'm going to talk to Lamb about the case. We're going to get some recognition for this one, honey. You risked your life for it." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and walked away.  
"Veronica!' Mac hugged her best friend, Wallace joining in.  
"I'm so sorry I left. I thought we had the guy." Piz said dejectedly. "I'm a horrible person."  
"No, you aren't. You tried to follow a lead. It didn't pan out and that's okay. I'm okay, guys."  
"Yeah, but what if you weren't? What if those creeps had hurt you or killed you or something?" Wallace's dark eyes were pained.  
He remembered Veronica's struggle with her rape and the discovery that it was a close friend of her boyfriend's. He never wanted to see her suffer in that way.  
"Logan was with me." She said again and her friends all turned to stare at him.  
Logan, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, cleared his throat.  
"It was my duty as a-an adult- a teacher. I have to go." He left the waiting area.  
"I'll be right back." Veronica said, running after him,  
"This won't end well." Wallace shook his head.  
"Why? He saved her life and took care of her when we weren't there, Wallace. He's earned some points in my book. And Veronica cares a lot about him." Mac said, defending Logan.  
Mac was the most compassionate to the guy since she'd read his private state and school files since his childhood. He'd lived a hard life, like Veronica, and sometimes people who have experienced true horrors seek a person who understands that. Veronica's subconscious drew her to Logan and apart from the physical aspect the two had a connection there. Mac knew how Veronica felt and though she wasn't best friends with Logan, she could see he cared for Veronica. It was evident in the way he looked at her. Like she was the center of his universe or some Holy Grail among plain mugs.  
-

"Logan! Wait." She stopped him before he got into his car.  
"There's no need for a thank you, Veronica. I promised myself I'd protect you and I did. I want to thank you for helping save my life. After all, by taking out Moe I could handle Mercer."  
"You saved me, I saved you. No big deal… How's your arm?"  
They both looked towards the tear in his leather jacket. The paramedics has stitched up the gash before they took Keri to the hospital, but Veronica had been pulled away from him by Lamb and she worried he was in pain.  
"Fine. They gave me morphine before they stitched. Any other pain can be solved by a glass of water and Advil capsule."  
She gave a small smile.  
"Are you sure? I have this pain… in my chest and I don't know if Advil will take care of it. Do you know what can help me?" she stepped closer to him and he looked down at the little blonde cautiously.  
"I'm no doctor."  
"No, but you can help me anyway."  
"What do you want?"  
"I _need_ you. To comfort me and care for me and be there for me like you were today. You risked your life to help me when you didn't have to. You came to a party to protect me when you knew I'd push you away and reject your help. And you found a way to save me anyway. I can't thank you enough for that." She was close enough that they were breathing the same air.  
"Veronica…"  
"I know what you've said before, but I disagree. I don't want to make full arguments to defend my point or anything. In fact, I think I can show you what I mean with one gesture."  
Logan's eyes closed when her lips touched his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he grabbed her waist. They moved together instinctually, natural actions people in love do. And that's what they were. In love, even if neither really knew it yet.  
"It's going to be one hell of a secret." He whispered against her lips.  
She gave a mischievous smile.  
"Secrets are fun, Professor. Or haven't you heard?" she winked, kissing him again.


	8. Chapter 8

Yes, my readers I have been gone long. I lost the Veronica/ Logan inspiration and have yet to get it back but you guys deserve this chapter. It's only Part 1 but it's the more… smutty part.

**Eight(Part One)**

Veronica pushed open the door of the Criminology classroom precisely at 9:00 AM, making her half an hour late to class. Logan stopped his speech mid-syllable and leveled a glare at her interruption. The entire class turned in their seats to watch Veronica's casual descent down the rows to her seat in the second row.  
"What?" she said after seeing the stares of the class, as well as Logan and Parker's.  
"Do you know what time it is?" Logan asked with thinly veiled anger.  
"8:30?" She asked cutely.  
"No! It is 9 o clock! You are thirty minutes late!" Parker screeched from her seat next to Logan's desk.  
"You can tell time?" Veronica asked with faux surprise.  
Before Parker could yell again, Logan stepped closer to Veronica and cleared his throat.  
"I told you before tardiness was not accepted in my class. You've been excessively tardy, Ms. Mars. And for that you will be joining me for two hours of detention from 6-8 tonight."  
Veronica's smirk fell with her jaw.  
"It's Friday night!"  
"Yes, it is." He said calmly.  
"I have plans."  
"You should have thought of those plans before you strode into my class half an hour late and holding up class for an extra ten minutes" he gave a disinterested shrug and went back to the front of the classroom.  
Veronica glared as she opened her notebook to take notes. Several of her classmates laughed at the lecture the supposed #1 Student and Teacher's Pet received. After class Logan reminded Veronica of her detention.  
"I'm not stupid, Mr. Echolls." She shot back.  
"For future reference I'm Professor Echolls or simply sir."  
Veronica gave him a killing glare and stomped out of the classroom.  
"She's a troublemaker. Send her to the dean and do us all a favor." Parker said rudely.  
"That's not necessary. I can handle naughty students." He hid a private grin at that.  
_Ah, foreplay. My favorite kind of play,_ he thought going back to the trivial task of exam grading.  
He was eagerly awaiting detention for that night.  
-

"Wear the red thong" Mac said and Veronica nodded in agreement.  
"It's definitely better than the pink one."  
"Why do you even own a pink thong?"  
"Duncan gave it to me on our second year anniversary. I never found time to get rid of it."  
"We have time now." Mac said before abruptly standing from her perch on her bed, picking up the offending pink item and launching it out the window.  
"Mac!"  
"What? Was your name stitched on the crotch?"  
"Mac!"  
"It's college, Veronica. People won't be shocked to see a thong on the sidewalk. And no one will know it was yours. Plus, your last sickening tie to Duncan is gone."  
"I never wore it."  
"And he never asked about it?"  
"Duncan and I had sex once and it was terrible. We never tried again. No one was focused on the color of thongs."  
"Three years in a relationship and no sex? How did you cope?"  
"Calm yourself, my nympho friend."  
"I'm not nympho. You know I'm a blushing version."  
"And yet you talk about sex like it was air."  
"Isn't it?" She winked and Veronica laughed. "Come on, you're dressing like a classy hooker for this detention with Logan. You obviously can't wait to get some."  
"Hooker?" Veronica frowned.  
"V, you're my best friend and I love you, but that miniskirt is above your knees, the semi unbuttoned shirt and the Mary Janes paired with the knee high socks scream schoolgirl hooker. And the pigtails and shiny lip gloss don't actually mean you're innocent."  
Veronica snapped her fingers.  
"You caught me! I am in fact dressed as every man's slutty schoolgirl fantasy, complete with matching lace underwear."  
"Up top, sister." Mac held up her hand for a high-five and Veronica slapped her hand enthusiastically.  
-

This time the door of the Criminology classroom was opened slowly and deliberately. Veronica stepped in, locking the door behind her, and smiled at Logan, who had dropped the pen in his hand and was hungrily raking her outfit up and down.  
"Did anybody see you?" he asked, trying to keep the tremble from his voice.  
"It's Friday night. Everyone else is out partying and having fun."  
"Are you regretting your tardiness now, Ms. Mars?"  
Veronica grinned and got into character, adjusting her unbuttoned shirt so a glimpse of her bright red bra was visible.  
"I'm just so sorry I've been a bad girl, Mr. Echolls."  
"What did I say about calling me that?" Logan made his face firm like an upset teacher as Veronica descended the steps, moving her slim hips tantalizingly.  
"I forgot, _Professor_. I'm not always so bright. Blonde." She twirled a finger in one of her pigtails, reaching the bottom step and standing in front of Logan's desk.  
"Apart from tardiness, I've noticed your grades have been alarmingly low."  
Veronica grinned, knowing that was only for their game, because her grades were outstanding.  
"Yes, I'm worried that I'll fail. I'm so scared of failing you class." She made a face of distress.  
"Let's not jump to any conclusions. I don't want a student as beautiful as you to have any worries. I'm sure we can work something out."  
Veronica pretended to think it over before stepping behind his desk and staring down at him.  
"There is something I'm good at. _Really_ good at."  
"Oh?" Logan swallowed hard as she straddled him in the chair and pressed her almost exposed chest to him.  
"Ms. Mars, this is hardly appropriate."  
"Please, I need a A. Please, _sir_."  
It was the combination of her sultry voice on the "sir" and the heat radiating from her thighs to his crotch that did it. He had been fighting the urge to take her from the second he saw her pretty lips open and witnessed her little schoolgirl outfit in all its glory. When she got close enough for her body mist and strawberry lip gloss to reach him, he knew he was gone.  
"That's enough of that." He said before pulling her lips to his and ripping open her blouse to touch the soft skin of her lean stomach and the breasts held by the push-up bra of red lace.  
"Eager, are we?" she giggled but it soon turned into a moan when Logan kissed her neck at her sensitive pulse point and released her breasts from the bra.  
"It's been a long time since I've had you." He breathed against her breasts, eliciting another moan from her.  
"Too long."  
He agreed and moved one hand under her flimsy skirt, traveling slowly up her thigh and reaching the lace underwear.  
"Logan." She moaned.  
"Professor." He said in her ear, biting her neck, causing her to jump in his lap.  
"Yes, Professor. Just like that." She said obediently as his fingers slipped under her underwear and into her intimate folds.  
Logan stroked her until she was almost as her climax and abruptly stopped. Veronica whimpered in protest and he chuckled, kissing her again.  
"I can't wait anymore, Veronica." He stood, placing her on his desk as he stripped his clothes off in front of her.  
Veronica licked her lips as he exposed his muscled abdomen and then his long legs until finally he released what she most wanted. The last time they'd had sex it was in her darkened bedroom after an amount of alcohol she was not proud of. It hadn't left time for any appreciation of his truly delicious physique.  
After the kiss outside the Sheriff's station, the secret couple made out and let their hand roam, but they'd decided to wait a little before taking it further. Logan came up with the schoolgirl/professor scenario and Veronica had been happy to oblige.  
"See something you like?" Logan smirked, ever ounce of confidence he possessed, oozing from his body at Veronica's heated gaze.  
Veronica didn't respond, simply got off the desk, approaching him and grasping his penis in her hands, making Logan groan as she stroked him torturously slow. He supposed it was payback for leaving her on the brink of orgasm.  
"Am I doing it right, _Professor_?" she purred and he responded by turning her body around, bending her over his desk and pulling down her thong in a motion so quick she almost missed it.  
Seconds later he had thrust into her and she moaned at his hard length in her narrow passage. Logan kissed her neck and used one hand to pull her leg on top of the desk so she was half-bent on top of the desk as he plowed into her wetness. She moaned as he kissed her ear lobe and adjusted her leg so he was driving into her at an incredibly deep angle.  
"Oh-G-God." She cried and he stilled his movements so suddenly she almost fell forward on the desk.  
"What was that?"  
"Professor. Professor." She moaned, moving her hips to force his to renew the pace.  
"You keep forgetting that. How will I teach you to remember?" Logan asked rhetorically.  
He began to pull out slowly and then slam insider her.  
"Do you like that, Ms. Mars?"  
"Yes-yes."  
"What was that?" he forced himself to stop and Veronica growled in protest.  
"Yes, _Professor_ Echolls."  
He quickened his pace and finally Veronica felt her long-awaited climax shake her. She moaned and Logan almost came at the breathy sound she made. He was about to finish himself off when Veronica, using an astonishing amount of strength pushed him back so he fell into his chair.  
"I think it's my turn to lead." She grinned and hopped off the desk, bending down to take off her shoes, leaving her in only the knee highs and skirt.  
She strolled up to him, stroking his fully erect penis languorously and trailing kisses down his naked chest and his glistening neck. Logan felt his eyes roll back at the gentle, burning touches and cursed himself for being such a tease to her. Veronica Mars always found ways for her revenge. Her slow, fleeting touches were sweet torture.  
"Hold on tight, _Professor_." She whispered before sliding onto his lap and allowing her center to be filled completely.  
They both gasped as Veronica set the pace, rocking quickly against and him and wrapping her arms around his neck to help her movements. She couldn't resist her instincts any longer and she used her grip on Logan to pull herself up and slam downwards, causing the most wonderful friction. Logan, sensing that the teasing portion of the evening was over and they both needed release, met her movements and helped her bounce her hips until both felt the tingling sensations intensify.  
Logan gave a hard jolt into her tight passage and tweaked her sensitive nipples firmly. Then, she was gone. He rode out her orgasm with a few sloppy thrusts until he too was pushed over the edge.  
"Wow." Veronica said after their breathing had calmed.  
"Holy fucking shit." Logan commented bluntly.  
-

After they got dressed there was a moment of awkward silence. That had just been the best sex of both of their relatively young lives and what did one say after mind-blowing sex? I love you's would be too soon and any other acknowledgements seemed awkward. Veronica sat in a desk as Logan stood, fidgeting in the front of the room, neither looking at the teacher's desk and chair. Finally, after ten minutes, Veronica jumped up.

"What's wrong with you?!"  
Logan was visibly startled by the sudden outburst.  
"What?"  
"I was in a 3 year relationship with a guy who was supposedly my future husband, yet the limited sex we shared was… awful. I don't remember much about my first time, because… you know. And the first time we had sex you left while I was asleep. Not exactly points to up my game."  
She stared at the ground and Logan recognized her insecurity. He rushed to fix his mistake.  
"Veronica." He knelt in front of her and lowered his voice to an intimate caress. "Seeing you in that schoolgirl outfit was the sexiest thing in the entire world. I almost came right there. Never doubt how amazing you are."  
Veronica smiled thankfully.  
"You've got to flaunt what you've got." She responded.  
"If this flaunting will continue, I want to request wearing more knee highs but with short shorts."  
"Is that what you like?"  
"The cheerleaders at school never quite did it for me, but I swear the soccer team was so…"  
"I was captain of my high school's varsity soccer team."  
Logan's eyes darkened into the molten brown she identified as pure lust.  
"Do you still have the uniform?"  
"Actually, I do. In a closet at my dad's apartment. I could be convinced to wear it."  
"Convinced?"  
"Hey, nothing in life is free."  
"Fair enough. Do you have any fantasies?"  
Veronica's blue eyes lit up in excitement and though Logan found it beautiful he was also worried. He sensed trouble.  
"Not for tonight, though. We need to conserve energy."  
Logan's eyebrows raised at her statement.  
"Is it illegal?"  
"No…"  
Logan gave her an unconvinced look.  
"When can we meet up again?" he asked.  
"I don't have class Monday."  
"And I only have one early in the morning. What do you say we do out on an old-fashioned date?"  
"Date?" she wrinkled her nose. "Aw man, I was only in it for the easy sex. Now, I'm expected to dress up and make an effort?"  
Logan glared and she laughed.  
"Kidding."  
"Sure. Wear something comfortable. I wouldn't recommend heels."  
"Where are we going?" she questioned.  
"It's a secret."  
"Will we be going out her in Neptune?"  
"Yes and no."  
"That doesn't make sense."  
"It's a surprise, Veronica. I won't tell you anything beforehand.  
She pouted but he stood and turned away.  
"Nope. I will be busy preparing our romantic and _secret_ date and you will be having a relaxing weekend."  
"Without you?"  
He sighed.  
"I'll miss you too. Immensely but we have to bear this separation. It's only two days."  
She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him.  
"It won't feel that short."  
"Fuck." He groaned. "I miss you already."

**How was that guys? Bad smut? Too much? Too little?**


End file.
